CONTENT WARSAW: Zuzana Bieliková of the Slovak Film Commission explains how the country has attracted major movies and series in recent years and how its offering to international producers is changing.
Zuzana Bieliková
Slovakia has quietly emerged as a competitive and production-friendly destination for international filmmakers, offering a blend of generous financial incentives, streamlined procedures, experienced crews and diverse locations.
At the heart of the Central European country’s film strategy lies the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and its flagship incentive programme: a 33% cash rebate on eligible production expenses. Introduced in 2020, this scheme is designed to attract international productions of all scales and genres, and it is already showing results.
Zuzana Bieliková, film commissioner at the Slovak Film Commission, emphasises that this rebate has been a turning point for the local industry and its global positioning. “Slovakia offers a competitive 33% cash rebate on eligible film and TV production expenses,” she explains. “This applies to a broad range of production types, including feature films, documentaries and high-end television series.”
The rebate can be accessed either by an international producer partnering with a Slovak coproducer or by registering the project directly through a Slovakia-based company, which may be a service provider working under a formal agreement with the international producer.
This model ensures flexibility for foreign producers. In addition to the cash rebate, productions that involve a Slovak partner may also access additional support through the Slovak Film Fund’s selective coproduction scheme. This provides further financial backing for projects demonstrating strong creative or production partnerships with Slovak companies. Such arrangements not only enhance financing but also foster deeper cultural integration and collaboration.
What makes Slovakia particularly attractive is the uniformity of its incentive scheme. “The Slovak cash rebate scheme applies uniformly across all eligible audiovisual formats: feature films, TV dramas, documentaries and animation,” says Bieliková. “The rules and rebate percentage [33%] remain consistent, ensuring equal access to the incentive regardless of genre or format.” This consistency removes ambiguity from the application process and allows producers to plan budgets with a high degree of predictability.
There have also been important recent changes to make the scheme more accessible to international productions employing foreign talent. Fees paid to foreign cast members are now eligible for the 33% rebate, provided those individuals are registered to pay tax in Slovakia or meet certain conditions as freelancers. Furthermore, international crew members can now benefit from a 14% rebate, with no requirement for withholding tax payments in the country, although their total cost may not exceed 10% of the registered eligible expenses. These adjustments have been designed to reflect the realities of international coproductions and service models.
To access the incentive, applicants must meet minimum local spend thresholds. These are clearly defined: €100,000 (US$88,500) for feature films, €50,000 for documentaries or animation, and €300,000 for television series of up to 26 episodes. A registration fee of €1,000 is also required.
The Slovak Film Commission backed Arte France and SVT’s drama Faithless
Projects are assessed through a cultural eligibility test, with applications accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. However, Bieliková notes an important calendar consideration: “For the expected sum of the cash rebate to be included in the Slovak Audiovisual Fund budget for the following budgetary year, the project has to be registered before August 1 of the current year.”
The eligibility criteria are inclusive yet rigorous. Feature films must have a running time of at least 70 minutes, and miniseries or series are required to have a maximum of 26 episodes, each with a minimum duration of 40 minutes. Documentary works may be standalone features of at least 50 minutes, or multi-part series with a minimum length of five minutes per episode. For animation, the total running time of the project must be at least 26 minutes. Projects that have already been granted a coproduction status under the Council of Europe Convention are automatically deemed to have met the cultural test requirements, simplifying the registration process.
While the fund does not prioritise any specific genres, Bieliková stresses that quality and feasibility are key factors in funding decisions. “There are no genre-specific priorities; all formats and genres are treated equally under the funding schemes, with a focus on project quality, feasibility and cultural value,” she says.
Slovakia’s incentive programme has already attracted several high-profile international productions. In 2024 alone, the country hosted four major international service productions. These included the Arte France and SVT six-part drama Faithless, directed by Tomas Alfredson; and the movies Afterburn, directed by JJ Perry; A Prayer for the Dying, by Dara Van Dusen; and The Swedish Connection, by Thérèse Ahlbeck and Marcus Olsson for Netflix. The variety of these projects reflects Slovakia’s capacity to support a wide range of productions, from action films to period dramas and thrillers.
Netflix’s The Swedish Connection from Thérèse Ahlbeck and Marcus Olsson
The strategic aim of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund goes beyond simply increasing shoot days or inflows of foreign capital. Since its inception in 2010, the fund has worked steadily to strengthen Slovakia’s position in the global audiovisual sector. “Over the past 10 years, there has been a demonstrable significant development of audiovisual culture in Slovakia,” Bieliková notes. “This is expressed in the number of participations and awards from international events, professional reflection, and the annual periodicity of national awards in the field of Slovak audiovisual.”
The 33% rebate is part of a broader policy effort to encourage not just cultural output but also investment in audiovisual infrastructure, technology and professional development. A dedicated programme for supporting non-state investments in the production of audiovisual works was introduced in 2015. Prior to that, Slovakia had no formal system of production incentives. The transformation since then has been significant. “This is also evidenced by the significant increase in the number of film projects registered in the audiovisual industry support programme,” Bieliková adds.
This upswing has had a tangible impact on the domestic production community. International shoots have driven demand for local crews, facilities and services, while also providing opportunities for Slovak professionals to gain experience on large-scale productions. “They have attracted international productions to Slovakia, which has stimulated demand for local service providers, crews and facilities,” Bieliková explains. “This increased activity has also encouraged investment in modern technologies and infrastructure, enhancing the industry’s overall capacity and competitiveness.”
Despite the economic uncertainty that has affected production levels globally, Slovakia has maintained a steady pipeline of international projects. While greenlighting may have slowed elsewhere, producers are increasingly drawn to Slovakia’s reliable and cost-effective ecosystem, says Bieliková. “In a more cautious market, factors such as reliability, cost-efficiency and production-friendly infrastructure become even more decisive – areas where Slovakia is well-positioned to remain competitive compared to other filming destinations.”
International coproductions form a key part of the Slovak Film Fund’s long-term strategy. The share of minority coproductions is growing, reflecting both Slovakia’s openness and its interdependence with broader European and global markets. The country is a signatory to the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production, revised in 2017, which facilitates multilateral partnerships across Europe. It also maintains bilateral treaties with several countries, including Canada, and is currently negotiating a new agreement with India, one of the world’s largest and most dynamic film industries.
To support this international outlook, the fund runs regular coproduction calls, usually twice a year, with application deadlines typically falling in September and February. These opportunities are central to expanding Slovakia’s role in the global film and TV landscape, while supporting local content creators and facilitating knowledge exchange.
For international producers seeking a reliable, well-structured and competitive filming destination in Europe, Slovakia offers a compelling proposition. Its financial incentives are generous, the application process transparent, and its production infrastructure increasingly robust. Most importantly, the system is built on a long-term vision that supports not only foreign producers but also the domestic industry and cultural development.
As global production becomes more mobile and cost-conscious, Slovakia is making its mark as a serious contender in the international screen production market.
