The TRIP (Tax rebate for international production) supports foreign companies whose projects are completely or partly made in France. To be eligible, projects must include elements related to French culture, heritage, or territory. Eligibility is based on a Cultural Test, which assesses the relativity of the story, locations, characters, sources, landmarks, creators, crew and technical hubs.
For animated production, there is a dedicated Cultural Test, acknowledging the singularities of the genre (download the full guide).
The amount allocated comprises 20% of the film expenses incurred in France, and caps at € 4 million per project (USD $5.4 milllion as of March 2010). The TRIP is given to the French company managing the production in France on behalf of the foreign producer.
To file a TRIP application, a company must meet the following criteria:
- Be subject to corporate income tax in France.
- Act as line producer for the sequences produced in France, and enter a line production agreement with the foreign producer.
The line production company is defined as “the company, in compliance with a contract with a foreign production company, that supplies the artistic and technical means for making the TV-film or movie concerned, manages the material operations for making the project and monitors its proper execution”.
There is no restriction to the capital mix of the applicant or its main business. The company can thus specialize in line production, or in film and TV production with executive production as its main activity; it can be an animation or VFX studio, a subsidiary of the foreign producer, an ad hoc created company, etc.
For live action productions, a directory of French active line production companies may be consulted here.
For animation productions, a list of French animation studios may be obtained from the French film commission, Film France (www.filmfrance.net). A DVD with the demo reels of 10 of the major studios is available on request at film@filmfrance.net.
To find out more about the TRIP, click here: http://www.filmfrance.net/v2/gb/home.cfm?choixmenu=taxcredit