The state of Georgia has a new set of competition from…Georgia?
According to reports, the Caucasian country of Georgia is launching a tax rebate system next year in order to attract major film and TV producers to the former Soviet Union country.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
“The minimum spend will be around $300,000 or a little bit less,” David Vashadze, head of exports and distribution at GNFC told The Hollywood Reporter. “The decision has to be made until the end of August.”
According to Vashadze, there are several factors that could attract Hollywood crews to the country.
“We think that Georgia could be an attractive location destination for Hollywood productions because of its diverse architecture, a mixture of European Asian and Soviet style,” he said. “[Also,] there are different climate zones in a small territory, within one day they could shoot snow mountains, desert and seaside.”
The country of Georgia’s film and TV tax rebate system is nothing in comparison to the state of Georgia’s tax credit system. Currently, Georgia offers a 30% tax credit on all TV shows and feature films that spend over $500,000 in the state. This has propelled Georgia to the top of the film industry due to the various and inexpensive filmmaking locations.
However, the country Georgia does provide a new environment for filmmakers. The country has already attracted several feature films including a British feature film and a TV series pilot, scheduled to shoot later this year, according to THR.
One of the biggest productions to film in Georgia is Zaza Urushadze’s Mandariinid (Tangerines), which won several awards including a Golden Globe and Oscar nominations in the best foreign film category earlier this year and had a theatrical release in the United States.
Do you think Georgia can beat Georgia in the film industry?
