On July 19, a press conference took place on “The 2016 Economic Impact and the Film and Audiovisual Industry in the Alpes-Maritimes Department.” The region is becoming increasingly popular with productions.
The Côte d’Azur has gone to great lengths to attract film crews, and it has paid off. 2016 was a record year for series productions. In 2016, 376 projects were realized in the Alpes-Maritimes, compared to 369 in 2015, including 12 feature films. For series, there were only two in 2015, but the number increased to eight in 2016.
Economic Impact
The figures are proportional to the productions’ enthusiasm for the region. For the year 2016, the local economic impact amounted to €55,607,549. Directly, it reached €30,555,924, which is six times more than in 2015, and €127,897,362 indirectly.
The reasons for the interest in the Côte d’Azur are primarily practical and economic. The Film Commission Alpes-Maritimes Côte d’Azur lists 861 technicians, artists, and extras, and encourages all technicians to register. The filming host policy also facilitates project implementation.
Since January 1, 2016, there have been positive changes to the international tax credit: the threshold for eligible expenditures has been lowered to €250,000 or 50% of the overall budget of the work if it is less than €500,000. Regarding the tax credit cap, it has increased from €20 to €30 million, and the tax credit rate from 20% to 30%.
The Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry aims to support and structure the Image and Creativity sector. The goal is to promote the stakeholders and inform schools of the new professions this branch offers.
On September 19, 2017, a Workshop dedicated to the audiovisual sector will take place at the Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a Living Lab in November will launch innovative audiovisual projects.
