National Film Agency to Be Set Up in Bid to Bring Filmmakers to Slovakia

The Culture Ministry is planning to create a National Film Agency later this year in an effort to encourage film crews to choose Slovakia as their location to film, TASR learnt from the ministry's head Marek Maďarič on Thursday. The agency will also be tasked with enabling links between foreign and Slovak motion-picture professionals and lay the groundwork for film production in Slovakia. "I believe that this small agency will be very helpful both for the promotion of Slovak films and for the ability to provide information on and bring co-production partners and film investors to Slovakia," said the minister. In addition, the ministry is also easing the requirement for minimum expenditures that filmmakers need to make in order to become eligible for a subsidy from the Audiovisual Fund that would cover 20 percent of their total expenditures. As of August, the minimum level will be cut from €2 million to €150,000 for a single feature, documentary or animated film, and to €300,000 for a project involving at least two such films or a television series. Meanwhile, the state's annual contribution to the Audiovisual Fund is to be increased by €1 million to at least €6 million as of next year.