Bulgaria offers a 25% cash rebate incentive for qualifying audio-visual and film production projects spending funds locally.
The cap of the rebate is increased and is now set at 5 million Euros per project and is reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis.
The cash rebate is accessible to producers, co-producers and service companies who are registered in Bulgaria, in the EU, Switzerland or a EEA member state. Companies registered in third countries may also apply, provided they have been registered as a film company for at least two years prior to the application.
Eligible Productions
- Feature films with a running time of more than 70 minutes;
- Films or series produced for television or on-demand streaming platforms - standalone films must be at least 70 minutes; series episodes must be at least 40 minutes in length;
- Documentary films exceeding 60 minutes in length, or documentary series with episodes exceeding 40 minutes;
- Animated films or animated series with a total running time exceeding 24 minutes.
Eligibility is subject to the project being partially or wholly produced / serviced in Bulgaria and is intended for public release or broadcast.
All projects must pass the cultural test requirements.
Procedure
Upon application, the company takes an Application & Qualification Test. Within one month of submission, your application will be reviewed by a Committee at the National Film Center (NFC), which will assess whether the project meets the cultural criteria of the Qualification Test. Within seven days of the Committee's session, the NFC will publish on its website a list of approved projects. Once the project has been approved, the applicant will have up to 12 months to apply for the cash rebate by submitting the required application form, together with the project budget and the requested rebate amount, for approval. Following review by the Budget Committee, the applicant will receive a certificate confirming the approved cash rebate amount. Upon completion of the production in Bulgaria, an audited financial report must be submitted to the NFC. Within 14 days of receiving the required documentation, the NFC will issue a certificate confirming the final amount of the cash rebate.
A Few Notes
- A project will not be eligible for the rebate if any work on the project in Bulgaria has commenced prior to the submission of the first application.
- All documents must be submitted in Bulgarian directly to the National Film Center (NFC), script including.
Additional Links
- Implementation guidelines can be read under the Bulgarian Film Act.
- National Film Center (NFC) application and qualification test.
