TV toppers protest tax
New Czech film tax causes controversy
The law, being mulled by pols in the senate, would pump e10 million-e15 million ($12 million-$18 million) into the state's Cinematography Fund by levying a 3% tax on TV ad revenues and homevideo sales plus a 2% tax on cinema tix.
Prima TV topper Martin Dvorak calls it a return to socialism, arguing the station prefers to fund films like Petr Zelenka's "Wrong Side Up" without bureaucrats' help.
Former Barrandov Studios topper Radomir Docekal, who as head of the Audiovisual Producers Assn. has lobbied for the law for months, responds that Czech film desperately needs more coin.
He says the 15-member committee that will decide who gets state funding will have six members from the industry sectors being taxed.
The film fund is presently supported by royalties from National Film Archive titles, which produce next to nothing.
Even so, Czech filmmakers are getting more resourceful -- 22 Czech-language features, with an average budget of $1.2 million, were made in the last year, compared with just 18 the year before.
