Serbia Film Commission was established in July 2009 as the independent non-profit association of the Serbia film industry. Members include the leading producers of feature films, television, tv commercials and animation, but also business sector and tourism industry members. Today, the SFC has more than 90 members.
The principal aim of the Serbia Film Commission is to promote and develop Serbia as a cost-effective, high-quality, competitive destination for international filmmaking, and to provide information and support to international filmmakers considering using Serbia for their productions. The commission is therefore dedicated to expanding the film location and crew/business database, improving skills and services and generally fostering a film-friendly environment in the country. Our campaign materials are branded Film in Serbia.
The Film in Serbia website www.filminserbia.com has been specifically created to house detailed information on production and post-production companies, studios, laboratories and equipment rental companies available in Serbia. The site also offers information on film locations, film crews and industry suppliers, facts about shooting in Serbia and updates about films made in Serbia.
SFC has created and is continually updating an extensive online database of film locations in Serbia, offering over 250 locations for shooting in Serbia, with over 3000 high quality photos.
Serbia Film Commission is the only film commission in the region of Southeast Europe and lower Danube, and is a member of the AFCI (Association of Film Commissioners International) and the European Film Commissions Network EUFCN, where Milica Božanić serves as Board Member.
HOW ARE SFC's ACTIVITIES FINANCED?
Serbia Film Commission is an independent association and currently has several sources of funding:
- Members' fees
- Donations and grants from domestic (Ministry of Economy, Divac Foundation, Unicredit Bank) and international donors (USAID, EU, ADA - Austrian Developmnet Agency)
- Sponsorships by corporate members and partnering organisations
WHAT ARE THE SFC's MAIN ACTIVITIES?
- Support to international clients regarding: locations, production services, professional services, legal and financial issues or other supporting services (accommodation, catering, craft services, transport, insurance, etc.).
- Liaising between the private sector and the government on all levels including local communities
- Domestic and international marketing and PR - Participation in major international fairs, markets and professional meetings (Cannes Film Festival, Film Locations Trade Show in Los Angeles, Cannes Lions, Golden Drum in Portoroz, Sarajevo film festival etc.), PR activities in the professional media (Screen Daily, Variety, Locations Magazine , Hollywood Reporter , The Location Guide , etc.)
- Lobbying and advocacy for the establishment of a favourable business environment for the development of film and TV productions, beginning with the introduction of the incentives program in order to attract foreign investment in this area; the preparation of studies, analyses and proposals for the introduction of incentives to attract foreign productions in the country
- Communication - the international communications with prospective partners, organizations and the media, with local companies and organizations within the film industry and other supporting sectors of the economy, with government institutions and the public sector in the process of lobbying for the film industry
- "Film Friendly" program – the development of the business environment without obstacles for the film industry - the introduction of standards in licensing procedures for filming through cooperation with government agencies, public institutions, municipalities, public enterprises and certification of the organization as a " film friendly";
- Organizing advanced trainings with the participation of world-renowned experts in the field of production for which there is no other formal education in Serbia: financial management of film production , locations management, education, casting directors, production managers, colorists, etc. .
ACHIEVED RESULTS
- Contributed to over 50 million EUR of investments in Serbia through foreign film and TV projects, through its members
- Successfully implemented 15 grants of local and foreign donors
- Created the first website with all the information about the production companies in Serbia, and online database of film locations with over 3000 high quality photos
- Standardized procedures for obtaining permissions for filming
- Prepared and distributed over 2500 pages of texts , presentations and training materials
- Over 200 published articles and interviews in local and foreign media
- Ten cities and municipalities, a public company and two ministries certified as " film friendly"
- Organized 12 location scouting visits of foreign producers in Serbia
- A total of 18 training and 5 master classes at the Faculty of Drama Arts and the Academy of Arts for over 180 professionals from the film and TV industry and more than 40 representatives of local governments, ministries and public enterprises
- Organized 12 public events and 12 exhibitions at international markets, festivals and conferences
- Contacted and processed enquires of more than 220 potential clients
- Addmited as a member in the Association of Film Commissioners International - AFCI and European Association of Film Commissioners EUFCN