The first National Programme of the Development of Audio-visual Activities (2010-2014) was adopted by the Croatian Audiovisual Council of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre and approved by the (then) Ministry of Culture in October 2010. In 2012, the results of the first two years of the implementation of the Strategic Programme were presented: positive changes occurred in four of the five strategic goals – audiovisual legislation, increased number of produced films, increased number of viewers of Croatian films, and an increase in digitalisation of independent cinemas and audiovisual (heritage) content. The second National Programme of the Development of Audio-visual Activities (2017-2021) was adopted and then approved in 2017. The new strategic programme followed in the steps of the former programme, while focusing on four strategic goals: providing material conditions for the further development of the overall audio-visual industry as an economic force, while ensuring the creative growth of Croatian cinema as an artistic expression; encouraging film literacy and audience development; preservation of audio-visual heritage and promotion of public accessibility of culturally valuable domestic and world audio-visual heritage; and positioning Croatia in the processes of formation of the European digital single market. The new strategic programme is being developed as part of the overall National Plan for the Development of Culture and Media that is currently in preparation and should be adopted in 2023.
There are no specific strategic or policy documents in relation to the interactive media industry. However, in 2018, with the adoption of the new Law on Audiovisual Activities, video games were introduced within the remit of the Law and HAVC as the centre for its’ implementation. Already during the public discussion on the draft Law this caused a stir in the audiovisual community in relation to: the expanded remit of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the prerequisite of the introduction of different administrative procedures related to video games and the need for augmented funding for the overall audiovisual industry if video games are introduced within the Law. However, in 2021 and 2022, the first calls were opened and the funding for the production of videogames and development of videogame projects has been distributed. In 2021 2 production projects were supported (total 275 000 HRK) and six projects in development (320 000 HRK in total), while in 2022 three production projects have been supported (605 000 HRK – approx..80 297 EUR), and ten development projects (895 000 HRK – approx..118 786). The video games industry is a nascent, small but growing sector that has been developing through projects such as incubator PISMO, EDU4GAMES, and through the Croatian Game Developers Association (CGDA).
With the changes to the Book of Regulations of the Film Production Incentive Programme increased the cash rebate from 20% to 25% of production costs incurred in Croatia and an additional 5% to those that are filming in regions of Areas of Special State Concern (Područja posebne državne skrbi-PPDS), this opened discussions on the implications of the Film Production Incentive Programme for the overall audiovisual industry and on the feasibility of opening up a film studio in Croatia, for which the Croatian Audiovisual Centre commissioned a feasibility study finalised in 2020. Filming in Croatia programme celebrated ten years in 2022 and since the start of the program, a total of 109 projects have been filmed through which production consumption spent in Croatia exceeded 1.6 billion HRK, i.e. 213.3 million euros. In 2022, 14 projects were filmed, that incurred 337 million HRK spent in Croatia. The discussions on the possible model of the partnership for the film studio were ongoing in 2022 as well, while a number of debates were stirred by the changes in the Law on Electronic Media from 2021 that introduced obligation for operators to provide 10 % of annual gross revenue for works of Croatian independent producers. In addition, media service providers on-demand (‘streamers’), which are targeting Croatia, were introduced the obligation to contribute 2% of annual gross revenue for the implementation of the national program for the audio-visual activities and to directly invest 2% – either into production or purchase of audio-visual works of Croatian independent producers. The novelty introduced during pandemic 2020 was the public call by HAVC for the microbudget films whose total funding should not exceed 1mil.HRK (132 723 EUR).
The Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) is an independent regulatory body whose mission is to promote public interest and media pluralism, justify public trust through professional and transparent activities, encourage media literacy, create conditions for the production of quality Croatian audio-visual content and ensure that equal conditions for media development and media freedom are met. Within the Strategic Plan of AEM (2017-2020) that is based on six strategic goals, three are related to the promotion of the audiovisual and interactive media industry: to proactively influence future amendments to the Law on Electronic Media and participate in the creation of a new media strategy of the Republic of Croatia; to create conditions for the production of quality Croatian media content; and to continue activities to develop and advocate for media literacy. This has been visible through discussions related to the Fund for the Promotion of Media Pluralism (see chapter 4.2.6), a yearly Public Call for Development of Media Literacy Programmes and a website for the project ‘Medijska pismenost’ (Media literacy). In 2020 the new measure was introduced by the Agency through a Call for the Support of Quality Journalism financing journalistic work published in electronic publications (see more chapter 2.5.3). It is expected that the new strategic framework for electronic media will be developed through the National Plan for the Development of the Culture and Media that is currently in preparation (see 2.1).
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