SVT and other Swedish players demand emergency surgery on production incentives

Major players in the Swedish film and TV industry are demanding the government support scheme for the Swedish production industry receives an urgent update because it is both outdated and insufficient.

Linnéa Kihlström

Delaying an update until a new film policy is in place in 2026 or later isn’t feasible, the signatories  – SVT, TV4, Film i Väst, The Swedish Film Rental Association, and others – wrote in a letter to the Ministry of Culture.

Amid escalating interest, the first-come first-served application principle caused the funding pool to run dry in one minute and seven seconds in Spring 2024, according to DagensMedia.se

The production support has been awarded to the production of feature films, documentaries, drama series, or documentary series since 2022. The support was established to attract more projects to Sweden and totals SEK100m (US$9.5m) per year.

Linnéa Kihlström, editorial director at trade publication Dagens Media, believes that the industry has a legitimate complaint.

“Considering the great demand – the application process was closed in just over a minute – I agree with the letter writers from the Swedish film industry that the rules for the production incentive should be changed,” Kihlström told C21.

“That said, discussions are also necessary on whether the money should go to the ones who are quickest with their applications, instead of those who have the greatest need, or the cleverest ideas for how the money should be used.”

The support scheme was criticised from the get-go for being inadequate. Even in 2022, the window for applications closed after one day, as the cost of applications had reached SEK300m.

Back then, TV4’s CEO Mathias Berg told Dagens Media that the amount was insufficient.

In the letter to the Ministry of Culture, the signatories state that the application guidelines need an update. They are adamant that it is too late to wait for the ongoing government film investigation to be completed and a new film policy to be in place.