Support for Danish film to offset coronavirus impact

FUNDING. Broad political agreement has been reached to ensure EUR 12m for Danish film and for national broadcaster DR. Of this, EUR 2.3m is going to the Danish Film Institute to cover extra costs brought on by the pandemic and to ensure the funding of an undiminished number of Danish films in coming years.

The Minister of Culture and a broad majority in the Danish Parliament have made an agreement to aid the beleaguered TV and film industry in the wake of the corona crisis.

The agreement calls for allocating a EUR 12m surplus of TV licence fee revenues to national broadcaster DR, the Danish Film Institute and the regional film funds, as well as to Danish production companies that have incurred losses on productions made without public film funding.

CEO of the Danish Film Institute Claus Ladegaard says:

"We are delighted about the additional millions to Danish film. It now looks like the industry will emerge reasonably unscathed from the health crisis. Productions that were forced to shut down in the spring have been completed with supplementary funding from the Danish Film Institute. And thanks to the additional allocation we will not have to cut funding for upcoming film projects. At the moment, audiences are eager to see local films at the cinema, testifying to the demand for stories told through the lens of Danish filmmakers."

FACTS

According to the agreement, the EUR 12m TV licence fee surplus will be distributed as follows:

  • EUR 8.7m to DR to strengthen the national broadcaster’s public-service offerings, including an upcoming effort to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Danish-Greenlandic connection.
  • EUR 2.3m to the Danish Film Institute to cover additional costs brought on by the pandemic and to ensure the funding of an undiminished number of Danish films in coming years.
  • EUR 0.4m to the regional film funds: West Danish Film Fund and FilmFyn.
  • EUR 0.7m to compensate for losses incurred by film and TV production companies on productions made without Danish Film Institute funding.