UK filmmakers team up with Moroccan counterparts
13th October 2009
A package of measures designed to encourage UK and Moroccan filmmakers to work together has been unveiled by the government.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport pointed out that many successful productions, such as Lawrence of Arabia, Kingdom of Heaven and Black Hawk Down, have been shot in Morocco and launched a new drive to support British filmmakers working in the country.
UK filmmakers and Moroccan producers will now be eligible for tax breaks, funding and practical support from the government, to help facilitate scenic shots which would be unavailable in Europe.
The department explained that the agreement will also encourage the production of films telling British-African stories which would otherwise have never been told.
Sion Simon, the film minister, commented: 'Today's agreement will change all that and enable filmmakers to produce commercial and artistic films which are both attractive to audiences in the UK and capable of export around the world.'
The government's commitment to the British film industry was highlighted last month, when HM Treasury revealed that over 170 UK-based productions took advantage of the film tax relief scheme in 2008-09.