Amid the pandemic, the national film agency continues to offer production incentives to local and international companies

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, AUGUST 26, 2020 — Getting back to work is the main objective of film and audiovisual industries worldwide ever since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis caused the closure of cinemas and halted production work early this year.

Cameras may have started rolling recently, but the global film and audiovisual industry is far from its usual state. Production companies need all the assistance they can get to continue with content creation while following health and safety protocols on mitigating the transmission of COVID-19.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), through the FilmPhilippines Office (FPO), has announced the first batch of awarded incentives which will be of help to productions that aim to bounce back in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

"Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDCP continues to encourage the production of films through the FilmPhilippines Program so that productions may carry on and our displaced workers can be given job opportunities," remarked FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño-Seguerra.

After the first cycle of deliberations held in July, FDCP's FilmPhilippines has awarded PHP 30 million worth of incentive funds to three Filipino production companies that are in  partnerships with foreign productions: ABS-CBN Corporation, Philippine Studios, Inc., and Epicmedia Productions, Inc.

Through the Film Location Incentive Program (FLIP), the Filipino line producers of “Almost Paradise” and “Survivor Russia” will receive a 20% cash rebate on their Qualified Philippine Production Expenses (QPPE). 

ABS-CBN Corporation was the  line producer  for the US television/video on demand (VOD) series “Almost Paradise” under Electric Entertainment. Directed by award-winning director-producer Dean Devlin (“Independence Day,” “Geostorm,” and “Universal Soldier”), the action-drama which aired on WGN America was filmed in Mactan Island, Cebu. 

Mastiff Russia partnered with Philippine Film Studios, Inc., for “Survivor Russia” which filmed 13 episodes in El Nido, Palawan. Philippine Film Studios, Inc. was involved in the filming of “Survivor Finland,” “Survivor Israel,” and Oliver Stone's “Born on the Fourth of July” in the country.

As for the select International Co-production Fund (ICOF), full length feature films can receive up to PHP 10 million. Filipino companies in a co-production agreement with international counterparts that have at least PHP 5 million worth of production expenses spent in the Philippines are qualified to apply.

The supernatural thriller “Nocebo” by Lorcan Finnegan will get PHP 6.5 million from the ICOF. It is a co-production among Epicmedia Productions, Inc., Wild Swim Films from the UK, and Lovely Productions from Ireland. 

Epicmedia is also the co-producer for another ICOF recipient, “Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon (When The Waves Are Gone)” by acclaimed Filipino auteur Lav Diaz. Snowglobe from Denmark and Films Boutique from France are producers as well. The revenge drama with locations in Lisbon in Portugal, Manila, and Tagaytay will receive PHP 6 million. 

“The goal of these incentives is to open up the industry for collaboration with the rest of the world for people to discover how talented we are, how good we are in providing service, and how the Philippines can be a global creative hub for films,” added Diño-Seguerra.

On top of the financial incentives provided by FLIP and ICOF, the FPO has a third incentive program called Film Location Engagement Desk (FLEX), which assists local and foreign productions in all government transactions. FLEX also connects  international productions to Filipino producers and production companies that are duly registered with FDCP’s National Registry. Among the projects that has received assistance from the FLEX incentive is “Survivor Europe” produced by Banijay with local line producer Philippine Film Studios, Inc. 

FilmPhilippines deliberations for Cycle 2 have just ended while applications for Cycle 3 will be accepted from September 1 to November 27, 2020. The Cycle 3 is the last chance for productions to apply for the FLIP, ICOF, and FLEX this year. 

Meanwhile, as the country celebrates the official closing of the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema, the Agency is set to launch the Philippine Cinema Incentive Fund in September. This aims to support more local film projects and productions from development, production, post-production, and distribution.

For more information, visit www.filmphilippines.com.

The cover photo is from "“Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon (When The Waves Are Gone)” by acclaimed Filipino auteur Lav Diaz