The Czech Republic has transformed its Czech Film Fund into the Czech Audiovisual Fund, which now provides higher incentives for animated TV series and films in order to attract more production business and bolster the country’s media industry.
“Our goal is clear: To support high-quality Czech audiovisual content and Czech filmmakers, and to help our industry [get] noticed abroad,” said Martin Baxa, the Czech Republic’s minister of culture.
Under a new Audiovisual Act that came into effect on January 1, animated series and feature films can now apply for a 35% tax incentive, which is a significant increase from the 20% that was previously offered. Films with a minimum runtime of 70 minutes and a minimum spend of roughly US$610,000 (CZK$15 million) qualify, as do series with episodes that are at least five minutes long (there’s no requirement for volume) and that have a minimum spend of around US$40,000 (CZK$1 million) per episode.
The cap on the total amount that projects can claim has also been raised from US$6 million (CZK$150 million) to US$18 million (CZK$450 million).
“The introduction of the 35% cash rebate is an incredibly exciting development for us,” says Martin Jůza, CEO of Prague-based production company Krutart, which has an in-house animation studio. Krutart presented Guglielmo the Inventor at Cartoon Forum 2024 with co-pro partners Animalps Productions (France) and POPCult (Italy), and it was one of the event’s best-attended pitches. “We closely followed the legislative process for the new Czech Audiovisual Fund, and I must commend the decision-makers and legislators for their excellent work—they really listened to the needs of the current audiovisual market and industry professionals.
“The increased and producer-friendly cash rebates have the potential to significantly elevate the Czech animation industry,” adds Jůza. “For Czech producers, the combination of these generous rebates and the new funding opportunities for animated series gives us a competitive edge. At the same time, Czech service companies can now offer an even more attractive package—a wide talent pool, competitive pricing and a rebate system with a high cap, making the country a highly compelling option for international projects.”
The Czech Audiovisual Fund is also introducing a whole new framework that breaks its funding up into four categories: animation/video games, series, films and infrastructure.
“Historically, the production of animated TV series in the Czech Republic has been challenging due to the limited scale of the Fund, low incentives and the lack of investment in animation by local TV stations,” says Jiří Mika, producer and partner at Prague-based PFX, a full-service post-production studio. PFX brought the bridge series The Forest Five to Cartoon Forum in 2024 with Slovakia’s Fool Moon. “I expect that these reforms will boost the production of animated TV projects domestically over the next two to three years. In addition, the enhanced incentives are expected to attract more work in international services, thus widening the pool of creative talent in the country. With this reform, we are on par with other countries that have long supported animation.”
The incentive for video games has also been set at 35%, and this is the first time the fund (which originally launched in 2013) has supported these kinds of projects. The Czech Film Center trade org—which works with international events and festivals, as well as helping studios modernize their facilities and invest in new technology—says the inclusion of this sector in the fund’s sphere of support is designed to improve the Czech Republic’s “standing in the rapidly expanding global gaming industry”.
A second phase of changes—including minimum spend limits, minimum runtimes for other project categories, and an incentive for documentary series—is expected to roll out on January 1, 2026.
Image of Český Krumlov, a town in the Czech Republic, courtesy of Nick Night via Unsplash
Updated 01/17/2025 9:19 a.m. with quotes from Jiří Mika.