Abstract
Co-production implies that there is a majority producer who has initiated the project and one or several minority co-producers who are involved at a later stage. In this chapter, I would like to share some of the insights that have arisen from MEDICI workshops in relation to “minority co-production”, a particular type of official co-production where the financial and creative contribution of one partner is significantly less than another. As the chapter will show, to be a minority co-producer involves certain risks but also numerous advantages.
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- 1.
MEDICI workshops are organised by FOCAL, a Swiss organisation whose main objective is to set up professional training workshops for the Swiss and international audiovisual industry (www.focal.ch).
- 2.
For the full text of the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production, see https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/220
- 3.
A new European Convention on Co-production is in the process of being approved by the signatory states to have a 5% minimum contribution instead of the current 10% (for a multilateral co-production) and 20% (for a bilateral co-production).
- 4.
The exceptions to this are financial co-productions that do not require the creative elements of a project to be shared. In the case of a financial co-production, the role of the minority co-producer is limited to a monetary contribution.
- 5.
This is generally in proportion to their share of the co-production.
- 6.
Tax credits, tax shelters and cash rebates are considered “production incentives”.
- 7.
The Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland) are the exception.
- 8.
See Danish Film Institute website: https://www.dfi.dk/en/english/funding/minor-coproduction-feature-films.
- 9.
Criteria such as national distributor confirmed, percentage of funding achieved, minimum number of days shooting, local expenditure and so on.
- 10.
Project financing by regional funds is mainly based on the amount of the project’s production expenditure on its territory.
- 11.
For example, in order to receive funding of €100,000, production expenditure in the region for the project must be equal to €400,000.
- 12.
For information about production incentives in individual countries, see the database of the Online International Film Financing platform at www.olffi.com.
- 13.
A mini-treaty is an agreement between two funds of different nationalities who want to allocate a specific budget for projects co-produced by both countries. This financial support is selective, and complementary to other public funding available in the two countries concerned.
- 14.
For information about co-development funds in individual countries, see the database of the Online International Film Financing platform at www.olffi.com.
- 15.
“EFADs Vision working document on future of film: Towards a Strong, Sustainable and Dynamic European Film Industry and Culture in 2030”. http://www.efads.eu/common-positions/efads-vision-working-document-on-future-of-film-towards-a-strong-sustainable-and-dynamic-european-film-industry-and-culture-in-2030.html/ Accessed 20 November 2018.
References
Kanzler, Martin, and Julio Talavera. 2017. Focus 2017: World Film Market Trends. Strasbourg: European Audiovisual Observatory.
Mitric, Petar, and Joelle Levie. 2013. MEDICI Second Workshop Report: Financing Strategies. Annual Report, FOCAL. Lozanne: FOCAL.
———. 2016. MEDICI Fifth Workshop Report: International Co-productions, Development, Gender and Quotas. Annual Report, FOCAL. Lozanne: FOCAL.
———. 2017. MEDICI Sixth workshop Report: The Development of Content: Challenges and Opportunities—Public Funds as Pawns or Players. Annual Report, FOCAL. Lozanne: FOCAL.
Olsberg, Jonathan, and Andrew Barnes. 2014. Impact Analysis of Fiscal Incentive Schemes Supporting Film and Audiovisual Production in Europe. Strasbourg: European Audiovisual Observatory.
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Levie, J. (2018). Minority Co-production: Insights from MEDICI. In: Hammett-Jamart, J., Mitric, P., Novrup Redvall, E. (eds) European Film and Television Co-production. Palgrave European Film and Media Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97157-5_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97157-5_17
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