The constant implementation of new laws and, especially, new taxes is not a new story in Greece of memorandums. This time, however, the annulment of a tax on August 19th 2015 is seriously threatening the present and future of Greek cinematography. Among the numerous measures the creditors are asking Greece to take, there is the annulment of the Special Tax Law Imposed on the Price of Film Tickets for the Development of Film Art and Industry.
According to that Tax Law, a small part of the ticket value goes to the producers and the movie theaters owners, while the biggest part goes directly to the
Greek Film Center, which invests on supporting new productions and so on. The excuse for abolishing the Special Tax Law was that it was a Third Party Tax, meaning that the state was not benefited by it. Nevertheless, this is far from truth as the income going to the
Greek Film Center is entirely used for the production of new films addressed to the Greek audience.
The annulment powered a range of reactions and protests in the audiovisual and film related associations, which from day one pointed out the danger of such a decision for the Greek film industry. Such a reaction, was the open letter sent by
FERA (Federation of European Film Directors) to the Greek President, Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, expressing the organisation΄s full support to the
Greek Directors Guild’s demand of the re-instatement of the Special Tax Law.
Read here the full letter as posted by Camera Stylo Online
It is certain that many more actions will take place in the next period trying to reassure the re-instatement of the Special Tax Law imposed on the price of film tickets for the development of film art and industry.
Below you can read the English free translation of the Press Release published by the Greek Directors Guild, concerning last Wednesday’s working meeting.
Press Release
Establishment of a National Committee of Institutions and Personalities for the Re-instatement of the Special Tax Law Imposed on the Price of Film Tickets for the Development of Film Art and Industry.
Letter of Support by the People of the Audiovisual and Cultural Domain to the Demand of the Re-installment.
On Wednesday, October 14th, there was a meeting of the bodies and people of the Audiovisual Domain, which took place at the National Technical University of Athens, concerning the conformation of a common proposal for the re-instatement of the Special Tax Law imposed on the price of film tickets for the development of film art and industry.
During this meeting:
1) The attendees decided upon the formation of a National Committee, consisted of personalities and representatives of cultural institutions, which will claim the re-instatement of the Special Tax Law by organizing meetings with the President of Democracy and the political leadership.
2) The attendees decided upon a joint signature to the letter of support to the demand of the re-installment demand of the re-installment of the Special Tax Law that was sent by the Federation of European Film Directors to our country’s political leadership.
3) It was emphasized that the cinematographers should insist on the re-instatement of the Special Tax Law, as it is, because the Tax Law was supporting the Greek Cinematography and thus it was wrongly annulled.
4a) There was a mention of the current situation of the Special Tax Law imposed on the price of film tickets for the development of film art and industry in other European countries, such as France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Luxemburg, Ireland, Czech Republic and Cyprus, which do impose the Special Tax Law on the price of film tickets for the development of film art and industry.
4b) In France, for instance, the Special Tax Law imposed on the price of film tickets, that is 10,72%, is collected since January 1st 2007, directly from the
French Film Center, along with the weekly operating income control service. Since that date, the French Film Center substitutes the country’s Income Tax Department regarding the collection, the filling of the forms and their control. The number of film tickets sold in France in 2014 reached 209 million tickets, while 91 out of them concerned national productions!!!
5) Based on data given by the Ministry of Finance and on the research conducted by the Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research, it is estimated that, in 2013, the activity of the audiovisual sector in Greece contributed up to 686.000.000 Eur. to the country’s GDP. In terms of state income, this contribution is estimated to be around 159.000.000 Eur.
6) The Greek Cinematographers request to reduce the film tickets VAT, which is currently 23%, to the percentage that applies for music and theatre venues.
Persons who were present and expressed their concerns regarding the re-installment of the Special Tax Law, among others, were: the Director of the Directorate for Applying Cultural Policy of the
Ministry of Culture and Sports, Tina Pischitzi, the member of the Administrative Board of the
Greek Film Center,
Yannis Daskalothanassis, the artistic director of
Drama Short Film Festival,
Antonis Papadopoulos, the representative of the
Scriptwriters’ Guild in Greece and member of SYRIZA’s central committee
Anna Hatzisofia, the representatives of
FERA Kostas Ferris and
Kleoni Flessa, the representative of the
Greek Actors Union Iro Mane, on behalf of the Administrative Board of the
Union of Film, Television and Audiovisual Technicians the General Secretary
Christos Papadopoulos and the PR and culture manager
Simos Sarketzis, on behalf of the
Panhellenic Audiovisual Union the General Secretary Kostas Kechagioglou and the Second Vice President
Odysseas Pavlopoulos, the representatives of
MIKRO Theodosia Grammatikou and
Sifis Stamou, the President of the
Greek Directors Guild Haris Papadopoulos, the former President of
Scriptwriters’ Guild and scriptwriter Katerina Marinaki, the producer Phoebe Angelopoulou, the producer
Gregory Athanasiou, the producer
Nikos Sekeris, the producer Christos Volanis, the producer Tilemachos Sarlis, the directors
Tassos Psaras,
Stamatis Tsarouchas,
Takis Papayannidis,
Vassilis Kessisoglou,
Lena Voudouri,
Vouvoula Skoura, Leonidas Vardaros, Vassilis Konstantoulas,
Nikos Fousekis, Kostas Vakkas,
Giorgos Panteleakis,
Kostas Machairas, Nikos Logothetis, Kostas Stragalinos, Nikos Zappas, the Vice President of
“ATHINA” Organization
Fotini Kotrotsi and many other cinematographers.