UK and Austria sign Memorandum of Understanding at Berlinale

The British Film Commission (BFC) and FILM in AUSTRIA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, strengthening ties between the UK and Austrian screen industries. 

The MoU will enhance collaboration, facilitating film and high-end TV production between the two territories. 

New film and TV production incentives were introduced in Austria last month, including Europe’s first Green bonus, while in the UK, recent official figures showed inward investment production spend reaching a record figure of £5.37 billion in 2022.

High-profile film and high-end TV productions filmed across both jurisdictions include The Witcher (Netflix), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (Paramount), Spectre (Eon/MGM) and Quantum of Solace (Eon/MGM).

Arie Bohrer, national film commissioner at Film in Austria, stated: “The British film industry was and is a worldwide example of professionalism. I remember in the past, when US productions came to Austria – a large number of the crew were from the UK. 

“Generations of Austrian filmmakers gained a lot of experience through the cooperation with the British crew. We hope that the new Austrian incentive will not only raise the number of big productions shooting in Austria but also create opportunities for future co-productions between Austria and the UK.” 

Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission, said: “It is an extremely exciting time for the global film and high-end TV industry. The UK continues to experience remarkable growth in production, generating billions of pounds for the UK economy and thousands of new jobs. Providing these opportunities for growth remains vital to the continued success of the industry globally. 

“We are delighted to be building on our relationship with FILM in AUSTRIA through this new friendship agreement, having previously supported a number of titles filming in both territories from The Witcher to Spectre. We are committed to continuing our positive and fruitful work with our Austrian friends, forging even stronger relationships between our two countries to ensure a frictionless and film-friendly service for productions.”