State to support Moldovan cinema through dedicated fund

The parliament has approved, in the first reading, a draft law that provides for the establishment of the National Cinematography Fund. It will financially support film production, international co-productions, educational projects and the digitization of the cinematographic heritage.

The fund will be financed from the state budget, donors’ contributions and other sources and the National Cinematography Center will be in charge of its management. The operational regulations are to be approved by the government.

The funding will cover up to 50 per cent of the budget of film projects, with exceptions for international co-productions (up to 60 per cent) and for audiovisually challenging works (up to 100 per cent). Support also targets experimental films, innovative artistic productions and educational projects in the field.

At the same time, the law provides for the reorganization of the Odeon movie theatre, which will be included in the structure of the National Cinematography Center.

According to competent authorities, this year, 20.1 million lei out of the total cultural and educational sector budget of 635.3 million lei was allocated for supporting cinematography.