Incentives in film industry help draw major foreign productions

In less than a fortnight, principal photography will begin on one of the most significant film productions in the Czech Republic this year, the adaptation of Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44. The thriller, a bestseller published in 2009, tells the story of a police detective in the Soviet Union who gets on the wrong side of his bosses. The film of the book represents a major investment and boost in Czech products and services.

Gary Oldman, photo: Sam Hughes, CC BY-SA 2.0

Child 44, directed by Daniel Espinosa and produced by Ridley Scott (of Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator fame) represents one of the most important productions in the Czech Republic this year. Filming begins in around Prague on June 10 starring acting legend Gary Oldman (Leon) alongside newer stars Tom Hardy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises) and Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Prometheus). In return for choosing the Czech Republic, the production will get back more than 45 million crowns in a cash back scheme aimed specifically at attracting foreign productions. In all, such productions will spend a total of four billion crowns in the country this year.

The Czech Cinematography Fund’s Helena Bezděk Fraňkova says the state’s cash-back support is part of the reasons.

“This year was very good because we received 500 million for the cash-back plan instead of 300 million was the case in the past. The funds have already all been allocated but we already have information based on film budgets that four billion crowns overall will be spent on local products and services by foreign productions in the Czech Republic this year. I think that the cash incentives do make a difference.”

Photo: Christian Wagner, stock.XCHNG

Originally the director of Child 44, wanted to film further east in the Czech Republic, in industrial centres like Třinec or Vítkovice in the area of Ostrava that are home to massive steelworks. The filmmakers, however found an alternative in Kladno, just outside of Prague. Ivana Dragounová represents a company which helps secure suitable locations for film projects:

“In the end they opted for Prague and its surroundings such as the town of Beroun. The reason why they opted for Prague instead of Ostrava, I think, was because of the excellent infrastructure. They were also probably interested in keeping costs for accommodation down.”

Child 44, which tells a story of a police officer who goes against the grain in the police state that is Stalin’s Soviet Union, is scheduled for release in 2014.