Bulgaria

[BG] Governmental Intentions Regarding the Financing of Film Production

IRIS 2011-7:1/13

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

After the Constitutional Court had repealed a provision by which the ruling majority attempted to restrict State subsidy for film productions (see IRIS 2011-5/8), on 3 June 2011, in the course of the Parliamentary control, the Minister of Culture explained that he would request from the budget an amount of BGN 16,6 million to be allocated to the field of film production.

The Minister also mentioned that all his predecessors had signed contracts for film productions without any financial support. According to him in 2008 the budget of the National Film Centre was BGN 5,7 million, whereas the approved projects totalled up to three times more.

In 2010 a total of 144 films was produced (full-, short- and middle-length films). In comparison to 2009 the total number of all films produced increased by 30.9 percent (34 films).

The number of documentary and educational short-length films in 2010 was 1,7 times higher than in 2009. The total of feature short- and medium-length films in 2010 was 17, i.e. 7 films more than produced in 2009. In 2010 the full-length films decreased by 1,8 times - 17 films in total.

The number of films produced for television broadcasting in 2010 increased totalled 69.4 percent of all produced films, which is 16.1 percent compared to 2009.