In these times of announced restrictions on public spending, a few days before the government unveils its draft budget for 2025, cinema professionals preferred to take the lead in defending the merits of maintaining the tax credits granted to their sector. For them, it is a matter of confirming that the 350 million euros of state investments made within “La Grande Fabrique de l’image” (the program intended to create centers of cinematographic and audiovisual activities in the region) are essential for France to attract film productions from all over the world and catch up with their European competitors in this field.
But also, since these infrastructures desired by Emmanuel Macron must see the light of day, it would be absurd to touch the existing tax incentives, they defend: 30% of filming expenses can be exempted from taxes within the limit of 30 million euro. A carrot that allows them to fill their order books.
In this sense, the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, was invited to inaugurate, on Wednesday, October 2, the TSF studios in Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne), the first project to be completed among all those financed by “La Grande” . Image factory”. A fake Parisian neighborhood with its Haussmann-style facades was built on a former airbase, where each building can adapt to the specific needs of the film sets.
For the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the main boulevard was used for Zinédine Zidane, Olympic flame in hand, to make his way through an inextricable traffic jam from the 1950s. TSF studios now provide an alternative to filming in the 1950s capital, access to which is becoming increasingly restricted due to demand inflation and local fatigue.
Especially since in Coulommiers, directors can have fun doing stunts, simulating explosions or fires… all things impossible on real Parisian streets. Soon, 12 film sets will complete this site to which the state has contributed 14 million euros, out of a total budget of 98 million euros.
Regain your rank
Before the end of the decade, a number of other large studios will appear, especially in the Montpellier area with Pics Studio and France.tv Studio, in Bouches-du-Rhône with Provence Studio or even in the east of Paris with the renovation and expansion of the studios in Bry- sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne) – where the Castle d’If from The Count of Monte Cristo or the Mexican landscapes of the film Emilia Perezby Jacques Audiard. Projects in which the Caisse des Dépôts has already invested 200 million euros on behalf of the state, of which 78 million euros have already been paid for the first works. The rest will be paid as the work progresses. To this total is added 67 million euros already paid for the training of all professions in the cinema and audiovisual sector.
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