Nordisk Film and Egmont are delighted that the government is now suggesting Danish production rebates worth DKK 125 million per year from 2026. Denmark is the only country in Europe without such a system in place.
A Danish production rebate will put Denmark on an equal footing with the rest of Europe in terms of attracting foreign film productions and strengthening the production of Danish films and series for the benefit of both Danes and the branding of Denmark.
“This is a historic day. A production rebate has been a big wish from the entire film and TV industry, and we are very pleased that the government and spokespersons from across Danish Parliament have listened and acted quickly. Thank you so much for that!” says Katrine Vogelsang, Director of Nordisk Film's own production company, Nordisk Film Production.
The only country without production rebates
Nordisk Film and its owner Egmont have been part of a broad alliance in the film industry that has worked over the past year to ensure that Denmark, like the rest of Europe, can offer a production rebate. This will strengthen the Danish production environment and attract foreign film productions.
Denmark has suffered from being the only country in Europe without such a system in place, as many streaming services and international production companies bypass Denmark when filming. With the proposed rebates, film and series productions can be reimbursed around 25 percent of their costs for producing in a country in exchange for coming up with large multi-million-dollar budgets that go to Danish talent and tax-paying labor. It also creates significant branding value and potential tourism revenue with great images from a country.
A big boost
Evaluations of similar schemes in other countries show that production rebates are a significant boost for a country because the investment is returned four to five times in terms of socio-economic impact. Most recently, the Norwegian Ministry of Culture was able to show that the Norwegian scheme has paid for itself 4.6 times over.
A production rebate can also be expected to create greater demand for Danish TV series because it makes it attractive for e.g. streaming services to invest more in Danish content, and it can retain Danish productions so that they are not forced to travel in search of other countries' production discounts. This can strengthen the range and quality of content for the benefit of Danish viewers.
“Danish films and series are an important part of Danish culture and help bring us together. By introducing production rebates, politicians are recognising the significant contributions to society that Danish films and series make. We in the industry are ready to take up the gauntlet and do our utmost to continue to deliver strong stories and ensure a strong Danish film position on the world map,” emphasises Katrine Vogelsang.