CONSIDERING TO FILM IN GEORGIA COUNTRY?

If you are interested in how to film your next project in Georgia, and it is Georgia Country not Georgia US State, then let us help you with your decision.

There are three basic reasons why you really need to consider shooting your film in Georgia.

  1. Georgia is a very compact and at the same time very diverse country.  And by diverse I mean locations.  There are 23 climate/sub-climate zones in this small country, so on the same day you can be shooting in one of the worlds most iconic Caucasus mountain range, and then on a desert, or in subtropics and at the seashore.   At the same time Georgia is an ancient country with ancient locations, as well as recent history of Soviet might be exactly what you look for, or do you care for European city streets, it is all here.  
  2. Georgia is a very cost effective place to shoot.  Not only crews and other direct production costs are much cheaper than other eastern Europian countries, but also cost of goods and cost of living is low as well.  So you can save your production budget, or increase the production value of your picture.
  3. And now from 2016, CASH REBATE was introduced in Georgia.  So now you can take back 25% of the money you spend in Georgia on your next film.  If you want to find out how tax rebate in Georgia works, click here.

Tbilisi, and whole Georgia is great place to spend your 3 months of production.  Just google yourself what visitors think about this country and hospitality of people here.  You can expect to have fun and be well taken care of.

And when speaking of being well taken care of, we know how important it might be to have a reliable partner in a country where you plan to film.  FilminGeorgiaToday, is the group of professionals who have the biggest experience not only in our country but also in the whole region.  We are the company who makes films.  We make our own projects, as well as provide professional production service to companies interested in shooting a film in a country Georgia.

If you decide you need support in anything from scouting locations to preparing a budget for your upcoming project, even if it is for research purposes, just to compare to other alternatives please reach out to vigenvartanov@gmail.com, or call us +99577727201 and ask our team to provide what you need.  We might end up to be a good alternative.   You can be assured that you are in good hands.  You are not going to be the first one US, European and Asian companies and producers have produced films in Georgia with our help.

25% REBATE TO FILM IN GEORIGA COUTNRY

Production company will navigate you the process to make sure that all procedures are cleared and your project will benefit from the rebate at its maximum capacity. Meanwhile below is information about how it works.

Since The January 2016, Georgia has introduced a 20%-25% rebates/incentives program for productions interested to shoot the project in Georgia.

General requirements to obtain 20% rebate for you upcoming project:

  • Beneficiary of the rebate scheme must be a company registered in Georgia.
  • Minimum budget is $250K for Feature Films, Drama Series/Mini Series.
  • Minimum budget is $150K for Documentaries, Commercials, Reality TV Shows or Music videos ,Animated Films.

Additional Rebate of 2-5%

  • Full completion of the project and production of a final product, to be distributed among audiences
  • Distribution of the final product in at least 2 countries (excluding Georgia)
  • Employment of the citizen of Georgia in at least one of the following directions:
  • Main or Supporting Actress/Actor
  • At least one of the Department Heads
  • Display of architectural/natural objects identifiable with Georgia
  • Post-Production of at least GEL 100,000 ($45K USD) on the territory of Georgia

Getting the Rebate:

  • Beneficiary has to provide an official independent audit conclusion document within 2 years of production.
  • Rebate will be provided within 90 calendar days after providing independent audit conclusion document.

 

 

More Detail Information : 

20-25% CASH BACK

“Film in Georgia” is a newly launched film industry incentive program offering a 20% cash rebate on qualified expenses incurred in Georgia. The program aims to support the development of Georgia’s film industry. An additional rebate of up to 5% is available if a production promotes Georgia as a destination by meeting the program’s “Cultural Test.”

CASH REBATE SCHEME

 

Products Eligible for Cash Rebate and Minimum Requirements Min. Local Expenditures Audience Coverage Requirements (any type of agreement)
Feature Film GEL 500,000 / ~USD 250,000 N/A
Internet/TV Film GEL 500,000 / ~USD 250,000 N/A
Drama/Series, mini series (including pilots) GEL 500,000 / ~USD 250,000 In at least 3countries outside Georgia
Documentary GEL 300,000 / ~ USD 150,000 N/A
Animated Film GEL 300,000 / ~ USD 150,000 N/A
Commercials GEL 300,000 / ~ USD 150,000 In at least 3 countries outside Georgia
Reality Show GEL 300,000 / ~ USD 150,000 In at least 1 country outside Georgia
Music Video GEL 300,000 / ~ USD 150,000 In at least 3countries outside Georgia

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

International and local productions must be registered as legal entities in Georgia.

  • Projects must lead to the production of a feature film, TV film, TV series or mini-series (pilot episodes are eligible), animation, documentary film, commercial, reality show, or music video.
  • At least 50% of the total production budget should be in place at the time of application. • Expenses must be directly related to the filmmaking process to qualify.
  • If production qualifies for the rebate, a refund up to 1,000,000 GEL will be approved automatically. Projects requesting a higher rebate require special approval of the government of Georgia.
  • Production in Georgia must be completed within 24 months after acceptance to the rebate program.
QUALIFIED EXPENSES

 

  • Rental of props and set dressing
  • Rental of generators • Rental of grip equipment and accessories (15%)*
  • Rental of lighting equipment and accessories (15%)*
  • Rental of sound stages, studios, rehearsal rooms, manufactories (property-room, joinery), workshops, sports storage spaces, theatre stages, and event halls
  • Rental of office space, office furniture, and office equipment
  • Rental of air and water transport in Georgia (15%)*
  • Rental, training, feeding, and transportation of animals
  • Rental of water tanks and mobile toilets
  • Hiring of government employees and rental of state-owned resources (military, emergency services, fire department, security, etc.).
  • Rental of land transport, vehicles, and all special transport for film production
  • Security and urgent medical assistance services
  • Food and catering services if it is in direct relation to the final project (15%)*
  • Professional services rendered in Georgia, such as insurance, banking, accounting and legal services. Also, if necessary, expenses incurred in determining the market price of the services provided.
  • Special effects (SFX) services, specialists and equipment (10%)*
  • Scuba diving, skydiving, hang-gliding equipment and instructors, mountain guide services, and all services related to their use in filmmaking
  • Laundry and dry-cleaning services
  • Rental of filming locations and the cost of filming permissions
  • Cost of set design, construction, and decoration
  • Travel expenses in Georgia of administrative personal of the program beneficiary – in accordance with the legislation of Georgia (1%)*
  • Accommodation for crew (15%)*
  • Expenses of the cast and crew, including wages of personal working full- and half-time, remuneration of contractors (must be residents of Georgia), taxes paid to Georgia, and those hired under the legislation of Georgia and on the territory of Georgia (60%)*
  • Remuneration for non-resident employees (director, actors, director of photography, production designer, costume designer, editor) (15%)*
  • Travel costs (only in Georgia) (5%)*
  • Fuel costs (in accordance with the rule established by the order N230 of April 18, 2011 of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia) (5%)* • Utility bills (1.5%)*
  • Telecommunication expenses (telephone, cell phone, internet, fax bills in Georgia) and rental of radios (wokitoki) (2%)
  • Image editing
  • Animation
  • Visual effects (VFX) services
  • Color Correction
  • Music recording
  • Voice recording studio rent
  • Image rendering
  • Rental of voice recording studios (voice recording for films)
  • Translation and interpretation services
  • Subtitling
  • Film processing and printing costs (lab costs) borne in Georgia. The creation of & film related packages to distribution and sales companies (deliverables)
ADDITIONAL REBATES

An additional 2-5% rebate is available if projects include elements designed to promote Georgia as a destination. To qualify, projects must meet the program’s “Cultural Test”:

1% – The production is completed and released theatrically or on major television network, and a “Making-of” video is produced that showcases the Georgian shoot. 1% – The production employs Georgian citizens in at least one of the following categories:

  • Lead actress or actor (first three positions in credits), or Director (first two positions in credits)
  • Screenwriter (first two positions in credits) or Composer (first two positions in credits)
  • Two supporting actresses or actors (first ten positions in credits)
  • At least three Heads of Department (DP, first position in credits), Producer (first three positions in credits), Production Designer (first position in credits), Costume Designer (first position in credits), Line Producer (first position in credits), Production Manager or Unit Production Manager (first position in credits, only if the picture does not have a line producer)

1% – Use of one of the following elements in the production:

  • Depiction of Georgia as a location (identified via onscreen title or other indication)
  • Story based on a Georgian work of literature or historical event
  • 3. Depiction of national landmarks commonly associated with Georgia such as:
    • UNESCO cultural heritage sites (and candidate sites)
    • Landmarks from the approved list
    • The Georgian flag (visible on-screen for at least two seconds)

1% – Spending at least 50,000 GEL on post-production services in Georgia within 48 months after acceptance to the rebate program

1% – Distribution of final product in at least two EU member countries, the US, Canada, or India; or participation in the main competition of an FIAPF-accredited film festival, the Sundance Film Festival, or an AMPAS or BAFTA nomination.

A “ONE STOP SHOP” FOR FILM PRODUCTION

To streamline the production process, the Georgian government will help productions directly with the following services:

  • Location scouting
  • Assistance in acquiring permits issued by government institutions
  • Coordination and communication with various stakeholders
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