World
Increased Tax Credit Provides Welcome Relief to U.K. Independent Film Industry
The announcement of the U.K.’s new Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) back in March had a near instantaneous impact, at least in the case of one film production.
“Giant,” the biopic of boxer Naseem Hamed and starring Amir El-Masry, was in advanced pre-production when the news landed, with plans to shoot location work in Hamed’s home town of Sheffield and all the interiors — including the essential boxing rings — in Malta. Sets were already being built on the Mediterranean island, which has been courting numerous film productions in recent years thanks to a generous 40% tax rebate initiative.
But then the IFTC was unveiled and the U.K., when it came to producer’s all-important bottom line, was suddenly much more competitive. What had previously been a 20% tax break was now around 32.5% (it was initially billed as 40%, but is actually lower after corporation tax). Given the costs involved in shipping the film overseas, “Giant” didn’t need to pack up its bags.
“As soon as the tax credit came out, we did the analysis and immediately it made more economic sense, straight away, to keep it here,” explains Zygi Kamasa, the head of distributor and producer True Brit Entertainment. “So we pivoted within days of it coming through.”
“Giant” may have been the first, but just six months on from the announcement of the IFTC Kamasa says that it’s contributed enormously to the output of his nascent company — which was only launched in November 2023 with a focus on films for British cinemagoers. Where there was an initial aim to produce three films in its first year, True Brit will soon begin shooting its eighth. And while some — like “Giant” — would have happened regardless of the tax credit, he says “there were movies that were definitely expedited” because of it.
The significant interest and optimism within the British film industry since the IFTC’s announcement, despite not yet being fully implemented, is a far cry from the dark days of 2022. A report commissioned by the British Film Institute (BFI) that year had the key and ironic takeaway that the overall boom in the country’s film and high-end TV sector had led to a corresponding negative impact on the independent sector. It found that the speed and volume of growth strained the sector so much that it couldn’t compete with larger budget international productions on several levels — from accommodating the rising cost of production to securing cast and crew, and ultimately to reaching audiences.
BFI statistics reveal that getting U.K. films budgeted under £15 million ($19.6 million) into production had become increasingly challenging. After plummeting by 31% in 2022, spend on independent U.K. film in 2023 fell a further 11% to just £150 million ($196.9 million).
Now, in 2024, post IFTC announcement, Harriet Finney, BFI deputy CEO and director of corporate and industry affairs, says, “We’ve seen a lot of positivity in the industry. It’s definitely changed the conversation for independent filmmakers in this country.”
The BFI is currently preparing for increased capacity once the statutory instrument and guidance notes are published later this year. Finney explains, “We’re making sure that we’re in the best possible position to deal with what is likely to be a flurry of activity. It feels like there’s a growing sense of confidence around domestic production.”
Simon Williams, managing partner at Ashland Hill Media Finance, reports seeing an uptick in projects considering filming in the U.K. “We’re getting lots of different projects coming to us, asking if they should be shot in the U.K.,” Williams says. He notes that some international producers are exploring the possibility of adapting their scripts to meet U.K. requirements. “The U.K. looks more attractive for film currently, because the tax credit, it’s probably bigger than pretty much anywhere else in the world, aside from maybe Australia. But Australia is far away and it’s costly to take people over there,” Williams said.
However, Williams expresses concerns about potential cost increases. “We don’t want costs to increase by shooting in the U.K., which negates the benefit of the tax credit,” he cautions.
Ashland Hill-backed “The Magic Faraway Tree,” based on Enid Blyton’s beloved book, is currently in production. “The Scurry,” directed by Craig Roberts and starring Ella Purnell, Rhys Ifans and Antonia Thomas, has just finished shooting, which Ashland Hill funded against the increased tax credit. “That film would never have happened if it wasn’t for this increased tax credit. I think the only thing that may deter some lenders from putting money against it [is] if you are entering into a production now, you can’t put a claim in for your tax credit until April next year. Whereas in the current tax credit, you can make interim claims, which from a producer’s perspective, if you have a lender, you can make multiple claims and pay down the loan quicker, rather than doing one big claim in 18 months time,” Williams said.
Alex Ashworth, head of production at Anton, believes the IFTC will make a significant impact, particularly for films in the £5-15 million ($6.5-19.6 million) budget range. “I think it will really help independent film producers where we’ve lost that mid-budget section,” Ashworth says. “There was a long time where that was the U.K. sweet spot, films like ‘The King’s Speech,’ and I feel like the cost of production has gone up so that it’s very hard to make those at that level. Our incentives are good, but they aren’t necessarily comparable to some other territories. So by doing this, you’re offsetting basically the inflation that our production industry has experienced in the last five to seven years. I think it will really help those independent films who are probably struggling to get their finance plans to hit those higher budget levels.”
Ashworth estimates that Anton is currently working on four to five projects with the IFTC in mind for shooting in the next 12 to 18 months.
Producer Alastair Clark, whose recent film “Sister Midnight” premiered at Cannes, also sees the IFTC as a positive development for the industry. “The mood is great,” Clark says. He also points out that while the net benefit is around 32.5% after corporation tax, rather than the initially advertised 40%, it’s still a significant improvement over the previous system.
Clark is already incorporating the IFTC into his project planning. “Certainly, one very solid project right now that we’re raising the finance for. It’s a big part of it,” he says. Clark believes the increased tax credit will reduce the need for riskier private financing in some cases. “Borrowing against the tax credit versus borrowing against an MG (minimum guarantee) or a sales advance, is cheaper, and therefore helps finance plan a budget,” Clark said.
While the industry awaits full implementation of the IFTC, the initial response suggests it could play a crucial role in bolstering the U.K.’s independent film sector and positioning it far more attractively on the global stage. For Phil Hunt at Head Gear Films, it’s certainly a very positive move after the “nightmare of Brexit,” which he claims “ripped the heart out of indie co-productions.” The veteran producer says he’s already noticed that producers in North America are “definitely now looking to put more productions in the U.K. and, when talking to folk in LA, there seems to be a drain away from the U.S.”
But that’s not to say that execs are seeing IFTC at the perfect solution, of course. As with most newly-launched financial incentives, there are hopes that it will be tweaked and changed along the way, especially with the U.K. under a new Labour government that has, traditionally, been more supportive of the arts. An ideal situation for many is that the 40% rebate actually does mean a full 40% for producers.
“I’d love the government to look at that,” says Kamasa. “I think it should be the full 40%, because then you’d be truly competitive with places like Malta and Italy.”
HOW THE IFTC WORKS
The IFTC is calculated on “core expenditure” related to production activities, with qualifying companies able to claim up to 80% of their core expenditure or the amount of U.K. core expenditure, whichever is less. For a £15 million ($19.6 million) budget film, this could mean a maximum credit of £6.36 million before tax.
After corporation tax, which varies between 19% and 25%, the actual cash benefit could range from £4.77 million ($6.26 million) to £5.15 million ($6.76 million). This represents a substantial increase from the previous Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) system, which would have provided between £3.06 million ($4.01 million) and £3.30 million ($4.33 million) for the same budget.
The BFI will assess film budgets to ensure they meet the IFTC criteria. Productions that exceed the £15 million budget cap during filming will have the option to continue with the IFTC or switch to the AVEC system.
Claims for the IFTC can be submitted to HMRC (His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs) from April 1, 2025, for expenditure incurred from April 1, 2024, provided principal photography began after April 1, 2024.
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Senior Iranian clerics would have been left “exposed” after an Israeli airstrike hit a meeting place where they were supposed to be convening Tuesday — days after a strike leveled the Tehran compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a defense analyst has claimed.
The clerics, members of the Assembly of Experts, had reportedly planned to meet at the location in Qom to deliberate succession plans for Khamenei, who was killed in the strikes, according to The Times of Israel.
“This second strike would be another embarrassment to what has been left of the regime,” Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital.
“It indicates intelligence dominance and superiority because any movement is detected, meaning they would feel exposed,” Michael added.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike Saturday. (Getty Images)
“As of now, the leadership would feel insecure and hunted, with all of their plans collapsing one after another.”
“They would feel totally isolated and understand that the biggest risk might come from home — from a potential uprising next,” he added.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed that the Israeli Air Force struck the building where senior clerics had planned to assemble, The Times of Israel reported.
KHAMENEI’S DEATH OPENS UNCERTAIN CHAPTER FOR IRAN’S ENTRENCHED THEOCRACY
A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, Monday, in Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)
It remains unclear how many of the 88 members were present at the time of the strike, according to an Israeli defense source cited by the outlet. The second strike on Iran’s leadership comes amid a broader military campaign.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, U.S. forces have struck more than 1,700 targets across Iran in the first 72 hours of Operation Epic Fury, according to a U.S. Central Command fact sheet.
The campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran’s security apparatus and neutralizing what officials describe as imminent threats.
According to U.S. Central Command, targets have included command-and-control centers, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Joint Headquarters, the IRGC Aerospace Forces headquarters, integrated air defense systems and ballistic missile sites.
FIREBRAND ANTI-AMERICAN CLERIC ALIREZA ARAFI SEEN AS CONTENDER TO REPLACE IRAN’S KHAMENEI
The USS Thomas Hudner fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury, Sunday, while at sea. (U.S. Navy/via Getty Images)
“We need strategic patience and determination, and in several weeks most of the job will be accomplished,” Michael added. “Even if the regime does not collapse, Iran will not be like we used to know.
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“I assume that the U.S. and Israel will establish a very robust monitoring mechanism that will enable them to react whenever the regime tries to reconstitute its military capacities again.”
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Hungary’s last-minute veto on the €90 billion loan to Ukraine highlights the need for the European Union to move away from unanimity, Rob Jetten, the new prime minister of the Netherlands, said on his first trip to Brussels since taking office.
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“The new Dutch goverment is in favour of less and less decision-making by unanimity on the European level,” Jetten told a group of media, including Euronews, on Tuesday.
“This is a clear example of why that is important because we cannot explain to our constituents that Europe is sometimes way too level in reacting to great issues that affect us all,” he added.
Jetten called on his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán, to abide by the delicate deal that the 27 EU leaders reached in December after fraught negotiations. The compromise saw Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic promising the necessary unanimity to amend the EU budget rules in exchange for being exempted from the joint borrowing.
Officials and diplomats in Brussels believe that by vetoing a critical piece of the loan at the last stage of the legislative process, Orbán has breached the principle of sincere cooperation that binds the bloc’s decision-making.
“If you reach political agreement on the Council level, we expect every member state to uphold that agreement. And if not, it’s a big task for the European Commission take action,” Jetten said.
In the new coalition programme, the Netherlands calls for the “simplification” of the Article 7 procedure that can deprive member states of voting rights when they commit grave violations of the rule of law. Hungary has been under Article 7 for years, but there has never been sufficient political momentum to move to the harder enforcement phase.
“It is absolutely necessary that we support Ukraine in the months to come to make sure they can continue their fight against Russian aggression,” Jetten went on.
“With less and less American support for the Ukrainians in terms of money and weapons, it is up to the Europeans to deliver.”
Orbán’s veto centres on the interruption of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, which Kyiv says was attacked by Russian drones on 27 January and has remained non-operational since then.
But Orbán says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has deliberately shut down the pipeline for “political reasons” to influence the results of the upcoming Hungarian elections. Orbán trails in opinion polls by double digits.
Caught between the two rival camps, the European Commission has asked Zelenskyy to repair Druzhba and Orbán to lift his veto. Meanwhile, Hungary and Slovakia have proposed a fact-finding mission to inspect the damaged section of the pipeline.
“We expect the European Commission to solve this issue,” Jetten said. “If it’s helpful to have any fact-finding missions on the pipeline to fix this issue, I’m open to it. But everything begins with: a political agreement at the Council level is a political agreement.”
‘Too early’ for a date on Ukraine’s accession
Among the first debates facing Jetten as premier is the future of enlargement, a topic on which the Netherlands has expressed well-known reservations in the past.
Zelenskyy is advocating for a specific date for Ukraine’s accession to be enshrined in a prospective peace deal, something that could offset the pain of territorial concessions. Last week, he openly suggested 2027 as an aspirational benchmark.
The Commission says it cannot commit to a clear-cut date but is working on legal avenues to revamp the notoriously complex process and ensure the Ukrainian people have greater certainty in their path to membership.
Asked about the potential reform, Jetten said enlargement should be reconsidered from a “geopolitical perspective” but urged the bloc to be “careful” with next steps, warning that the essence of the European project risks being undermined.
“We are very open-minded to look into broader support for these (candidate) countries, but moving too fast is not the way to move forward,” the premier said.
“I think, at the moment, it’s not possible to set a date for enlargement with Ukraine, but it is possible to talk with them, and I will do that with President Zelenskyy, (about) how Europeans can support Ukraine in the important reforms that they have undertaken. But at this moment, it is too early to set the date.”
Jetten also touched upon the US-Iranian strikes on Iran, which have pushed the Middle East into uncharted territory. Wholesale gas prices have soared in reaction to the war, prompting fears that Europe might soon face a prohibitive bill to refill its underground reserves, which are running low after the heating season.
“Obviously, the Iran war can have a big impact on strategic reserves, not only in Europe but also in Asia. So we have to prepare ourselves for any case that this war will continue for many more weeks and impact the strategic reserves in the Netherlands and abroad,” he said, noting extra measures would be taken “if necessary”.
“I think the broader concern is what this war and everything that’s going on in the Strait of Hormuz is going to affect in terms of pricing.”
‘The Netherlands is back’
Jetten’s D66 party has formed a minority goverment with the liberal VVD and the conservative CDA, all of which support European integration. His tenure puts an end to the fractious four-party coalition headed by the right-wing, Eurosceptic Party for Freedom (VVD) of Geert Wilders, which was marked by constant disagreements.
Among the priorities, his executive has pledged to ramp up defence spending, simplify regulation, promote new technologies and expand renewable energy.
“As a founding (member) and the fifth (largest) economy within the EU, the Netherlands is back at the table to work closely together with everyone here in Brussels and our allies within the EU,” Jetten said.
“We see a lot of opportunities to strengthen the European economy and competitiveness, and also to make sure that we do our job with a lot of tax-based money to invest in the European defence and the European defence industry.”
Jetten and the other 26 leaders are heading for a no-holds-barred fight on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the bloc’s seven-year budget. Brussels has proposed a €2-trillion template that some capitals consider politically unpalatable.
Where to cut spending will be a major fracture line. Germany, the Nordics and the Baltics want a greater focus on strategic priorities, while Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe want to preserve the prominence of agriculture and cohesion funds.
The Dutch premier made it clear that the next budget should focus on the big transitions shaping the continent’s future: defence, technology and climate.
“A modern MFF doesn’t mean an exploded MFF in terms of numbers,” he said.
“The Netherlands will look into the numbers very closely, and we will have a lot of debate on this topic in the months to come.”
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