Call for tax breaks to help grow film industry
BBC
Jersey filmmakers have called for more support to help the film industry grow and make the island more attractive as a filming destination.
Unlike the UK, Jersey does not offer a film tax incentive meaning productions filming on the island can not claim back any of their costs. Industry representatives claim that leaves Jersey at a competitive disadvantage, despite its scenery and cinematic reputation.
They said more support could attract film productions, create jobs and boost the economy.
Jersey’s government said it was exploring the sector’s potential and would bring those involved together before deciding what support could be introduced.
UKTV
Arguably one of the most successful TV productions associated with Jersey is Bergerac, which recently announced its third series.
Executive producer Brian Constantine said the lack of tax incentive made filming in Jersey more expensive and without support from the government and Visit Jersey filming in the island “would not have been feasible”.
“If you had filmed the entire show in the UK, over 20% of [costs] you’d be getting back with your tax credit. But come to Jersey, and that money’s not involved in that deal. So trying to prove to any of the large production companies to be 20% down is going to be almost impossible to achieve,” he added.
Constantine said filming in the island came with added costs.
“Jersey is inherently much more expensive due to actually having to bring everything in. All the camera kits, we have to put up 100 people every time we come in the summer in hotels, they get their breakfast, lunch and dinner. The costs do seem to skyrocket.
“What Jersey needs to be is competitive – it needs to be able to have an edge on other jurisdictions that are offering some quite hefty tax breaks. So by making production easier and more affordable, then Jersey is really in with a shot of becoming the film and TV hub.
He added it was “very strange” Jersey did not have a film commission to give advice, coordinate permissions and oversee funding.
Altitude Film Entertainment
Award-winning Jersey-born director Michael Pearce, whose film Beast – loosely inspired by the ‘Beast of Jersey’ case – was partly shot on the island, said the lack of tax incentive meant the film nearly had to be filmed elsewhere.
“When I initially wrote the script I had a specific location for every scene. However early into production we found that Jersey doesn’t have a tax incentive to encourage film production, so we had to look at shooting the whole film somewhere else”.
He said he eventually convinced financiers to film the exterior shots in Jersey because other places did not have the “unique charm the island had to offer”.
“It would be great if Jersey had some kind of incentive,” he said. “I think more films, TV shows, and commercials would shoot on the island, but without one it will rarely be considered, if ever at all.”
Rebecca Coley, an award-winning Jersey director, writer and producer, said the island needed an incentive.
“It does cost us because producers look at Jersey and they might think ‘oh that would be ideal’ for a certain period in time or a certain location, but then actually it’s just the the expense of it and the fact there’s no incentive whatsoever just means we’re not competitive with lots of other jurisdictions”, she said.
Jenna Buesnel, creative director at Slingshot films, agreed it was important the filmmaking process in Jersey was simplified.
“It’s making sure that getting those location permissions, drone permissions, certain grants are easy to achieve.
“I think companies who might want to come from the UK, might feel they don’t know enough and they’re not supported enough logistically here,” she said.
Assistant minister for sustainable economic development Serena Kersten said ministers were “working hard to get an understanding of what was the best way forward” with “credits and rebates” among the options that could be explored.
She said discussions with the industry were the “next step” and the government would only introduce measures that were sustainable and supported its priority of growing Jersey’s economy.
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