Lithuanian Ministry of Culture has passed Regulation on movie financing from Lithuanian government funds
On September 6th Lithuanian Ministry of Culture has passed Regulation on movie financing from Lithuanian government funds. In this way Lithuania is supporting local movie industry and invites EU producers to shoot movies in Lithuania. Applicants, eligible to receive funding are legal persons registered in EU or EEA member states, having a place of incorporation /registration in Lithuania. Under the rules both preparatory and production costs are coverable, for long/short artistic movies, documentary and animation films. Maximum amount that can be funded per 1 project varies from 10 000 EUR to 725 000 EUR, depending on type of movie. Producers receiving funding are allowed to spend up to 20 % of total financed expenses abroad, whereas rest of expenses shall be suffered in Lithuania.
General movie funding limits:
- up to 75 % of preparatory work estimate;
- up to 50 % of production costs;
- up to 75 % of production costs of experimental movie;
- up to 60 % of production costs if movie is produced by companies established in more than 1 state;
- up to 75 % of production costs if one of producing companies is registered in a developing country.
Specific budget expense funding limits:
- Producer‘s royalty: up to 8 % of total expenses financed;
- Director‘s royalty: up to 8 %, if director and screen play author is the same person – up to 10 %;
- Administrative expenses: up to 7 % (5 % in case of preparatory works);
- Unforeseen expenses: up to 7 % (15 % in case of animation films);
- Financial expenses: up to 5 % of total expenses financed from government funds.
Expenses eligible to funding shall be:
- Suffered during the financial year when financing is given.
- Received funds shall not be used to cover subsequent year expenses;
- Foreseen in the project estimate;
- Real and reflect the market price;
- Evidenced by financial statements;
- Are not funded from other sources (no double funding).
Additional obligations that producer partakes with abovementioned financing are:
- Annual and post production reports on expenditure with confirmation from auditor;
- Submitting information on factual funding sources;
- Obligation to publish movie in Lithuanian cinemas and arrange public screening within two years after completion.
Until satisfying above mentioned requirements, producers can not apply for financing of other projects.
Applications for funding are submitted to and being assessed by the Board of Lithuanian Film Centre (www.lkc.lt/en). Movie projects receiving passing mark of 16 are assessed in a second round, where movies hitting the threshold of 50 votes are subject to financing. During 9 months of 2014, Board of Lithuanian Film Centre has already issued 2.1 million EUR (7 289 771,00 LTL) funding to producers that shoot movies in Lithuania.
Andrius Apanavičius, lawyer of the Gencs Valters Law Firm in Vilnius
Practising in fields of Entertainment Law in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
T: +370 52 61 10 00
F: +370 52 61 11 00