Uzbekistan has approved a new film rebate programme offering foreign productions up to 4 billion soums (around U.S.$315,000) in reimbursement as it seeks to attract international filmmakers and boost tourism through cinema.
The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted new regulations introducing a tiered reimbursement system for foreign film and television productions. Under the programme, producers will be able to recover between 10% and 25% of eligible local production expenses, depending on the size of their investment, with compensation capped at 4 billion soums per project.
Applications will be submitted through the new Film in Uzbekistan platform, which is scheduled to launch before 1 November. Foreign studios will be required to partner with an accredited local production company and provide documentation verifying all eligible expenditure. Only goods and services purchased from Uzbek tax residents will qualify for reimbursement.
The initiative forms part of Uzbekistan's broader strategy to develop film tourism and attract international investment into its creative industries. Alongside the rebate programme, authorities plan to publish a nationwide catalogue of filming locations, historical landmarks and production facilities to make it easier for foreign studios to film in the country.
Film rebate schemes have become one of the main tools countries use to compete for major international productions.
New Zealand, for example, offers a 20% cash rebate, with an additional 5% incentive for projects delivering wider economic benefits. The programme helped establish the country as a global filming destination through productions including The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and the Avatar sequels, generating billions of dollars in tourism and production spending.
The United Kingdom provides a 25% tax credit for qualifying film and high-end television productions, helping to attract major projects from studios including Disney, Warner Bros. and Marvel. Australia also offers rebates of up to 40%, while India provides reimbursements of up to 40% for qualifying international productions, reflecting growing global competition to attract film investment.
Uzbekistan first introduced a film rebate mechanism in 2020, offering a 20% reimbursement for foreign productions. The latest regulations significantly expand the programme by increasing the maximum rebate to 25% and raising the compensation cap to 4 billion soums, making the country more competitive in the global production market.
Officials hope the initiative will not only attract international filmmakers but also create jobs for local production companies, encourage skills development across the film industry, and showcase Uzbekistan's historic sites and landscapes to audiences worldwide.
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in pl...
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security...
The bodies of 13 migrants have been recovered from a boat off the Greek island of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday. A further 18 people ...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
The gunman who allegedly killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khankendi, laying a wreath and paying tribute to servicemen killed during the 44-day Second Garabagh War in 2020.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced that its 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and Met Gala will explore how designers transform everyday clothing and ordinary materials into works of art.
Australia has returned two ancient stone statue heads to China, more than 30 years after they were taken from imperial tombs in central China.
Uzbekistan is launching a new fashion academy in Tashkent to help local clothing manufacturers build their own brands, sharpen design skills and compete in international markets.
Baku is set to host the second “Fly to Baku” Art Weekend from 30 October to 1 November, bringing together Azerbaijani and international artists to explore the Caucasus’ wildlife and cultural heritage, and the need to protect nature.
A rare 67-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton known as “Jodi” has sold for $47.3 million at Sotheby’s in New York, smashing its pre-sale estimate and becoming the second-most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold at auction.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment