Zagreb - Members of parliament on Friday welcomed the final Bill on Audiovisual Activities which introduces new financial incentives for the development and production of audiovisual works, but the Opposition warned that the funds envisaged are insufficient.
Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said the new legislation introduced financial incentives for the development and production of audiovisual works and producers who are considered independent, who would be able to apply for and obtain grants equivalent to a certain percentage of funds they have paid in the form of different taxes, to stimulate investments in their audiovisual works.
The minister said the purpose of the bill was to provide additional financing primarily for small and micro businesses, which function on a project basis. That way, the quality and competitiveness of Croatian films and Croatian production in the audiovisual industries market will be improved both at home and abroad, she said.
Producers entitled to incentives will be those who are considered independent producers and who pay taxes in Croatia, and the incentives will be awarded for feature and short films, documentaries, animated and experimental films, as well as feature, documentary and animated series.
The incentives will range from €10,000 to 132,000 per audiovisual work, she said.
The amendments were supported by opposition MPs but MP Urša Raukar Gamulin (We Can!) warned that the funds envisaged under the amendments - €1.5 million in 2025 and €2 million in 2026, were insufficient.
She also said that this year's budget was around €3 million short of financing another two to three films.
Raukar Gamulin said that the draft national plan promoting audiovisual creation for the period from 2022 to 2025 envisages at least eight feature films a year, which, she said, was not possible with the current budget.
SDP MP Sabina Glasovac, too, supported the proposed amendments, but she also supported Raukar Gamulin's remarks.