The 2019 budget for financial incentives for production has increased to €7.5 million from €6.7 million in 2018.
The incentives in question are rebates of 25% offered to foreign producers who shoot their films in Serbia. More than 100 projects have benefited since its creation in 2016.
Thanks to these tax incentives, productions spent a total of €35.3 million in 2018. In the same year, 11 international feature films were shot in Serbia, among them the Chinese Belgrade Escape and the Indian production Uri: The Surgical Strike by director Aditya Dhar.
Producers from India and China have become increasingly interested in Serbia because of its visa-free policy for those nationals. Two American films were shot in Serbia in 2018: Ralph Fiennes’ The White Crow and Alexandre Aja’s horror film Crawl.
To provide Belgrade with more competitive infrastructures, €50 million will be invested in the facilities of Avala Film, the main production company in former Yugoslavia, located in the Košutnjak district. Founded in 1946, it was acquired by the Sebra and Feel Max. Renamed Avala Studios, its facilities will be operational by 2022-2023.
Sources: http://www.filminserbia.com , https://www.ekapija.com, https://www.blic.rs
