Prague site fee hike no longer in sight
New agreement will see location fees drop by up to 80%
Tuesday's U-turn follows lobbying by members of the burgeoning film services community in Prague.
The new agreement will see location fees drop by as much as 80% for town center exteriors. Last month's increase would have seen prices skyrocket from $3,000 to $15,000 for a day's filming permit.
The season's film releases underscore Prague's popularity: "XXX," "The Bourne Identity," "Blade 2," "Bad Company," "Hart's War" and "The Affair of the Necklace" are among films shot almost entirely in the Czech Republic, thanks to favorable shooting costs.
Price hike would have hit prod'ns
But that could have been threatened by the price hike -- and local producers have voiced concern over local government's reluctance to introduce incentives to keep Prague's 10,000-strong film workforce employed.
"I am relieved to say that the Prague City Council has acted decisively to support the continued growth and international competitiveness of the film production industry in the Czech Republic," said Mathew Stillmann, managing director of production services outfit Stillking Films. "Hopefully, other initiatives will follow soon."
"They rescued the future of filmmaking in Prague," said Prague-based independent producer Michelle Weller. "The way you make money is not by raising location fees, but by getting that $70 million movie."
Stillmann estimated the film industry attracts $200 million annually in direct investment with a trickle-down effect that boosts the Czech economy by $800 million.
