Turkish film producers call for sponsor support

Turkish movie production industry currently attracts $15 million annually from the private sector. The movie production firms need more sponsorship to continue to develop, particularly during a time of global economic crisis, urged industry representatives.

The question related to the amount of money spent annually on movie sponsorships has come on the agenda as Can Dündar's "Mustafa," a movie on the Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, hits movie theatres.

The private sector supports Turkish cinema, both financially and morally, and sponsorship rates have increased within the last two years, said Galip Gültekin, chairman of the Film Producers' Professional Association, or FİYAB. However, he said this was not always enough. The demand for sponsorship from companies is on the rise, due in particular to the impacts of the global financial crisis, Gültekin said.

40 movies each year
Some 38 films were shot last year and around 40 Turkish films are expected to be shot by the end of this year, he said. "All of them have sponsors. Excluding some expensive productions, shooting a film in Turkey costs anywhere between $1 million and $2 million on average. More down-to earth films may cost YTL 800,000. Usually sponsors cover up to 30 percent of the total cost of a movie."

Total cost of shooting 40 movies a year adds up to approximately $50 million, said Gültekin. Sponsors cover about $10 million of that total amount and provide equipment support worth $5 million, he added.

"The sponsors cover one fifth of the monetary cost of the movies and their material supply constitutes another one fifth, which means the aid from the private sector covers only two fifths of the total cost of movie production. Producers, their equity capitals or the Ministry of Culture meets the remaining part."

In order to increase the support of the private sector to Turkish cinema, there are efforts to give tax exemptions to sponsorship, Gültekin said. "A sponsor law has been issued. Within the framework of the new law, the companies' sponsorship to movies is subtracted from tax assessment, but not from income tax. There are some countries where it is subtracted from income tax."

The Association of Film Producers also demanded that sponsors be exempt from taxes in order to secure the development of Turkish cinema. "The cost of a movie production is increasing. The aid by the Ministry of Culture is not sufficient," said Şevki Tosunoğlu, chairman of the Association of Film Producers, adding that taxes push away the companies that want to sponsor movies.

Sponsors are vital for the development of Turkish cinema, said Mine Vargı, vice chairperson of Filma Cass, the producer of movies such as Kabadayı (Bully), Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak (Everything's Gonna Be Alright) and Gönül Yarası (Lovelorn). Vargı noted that she was among the people that introduced the sponsorship practice to the Turkish movie production industry.

"The awards Turkish movies receive abroad contribute to the promotion of the country. The cost of a movie is around $1 million - $1.5 million. A sponsor company provides around $300,000 - $500,000 for a film. Sponsorship should be encouraged with tax reductions."

Expensive productions
The average cost of shooting a movie in Turkey varies between $800,000 and $1.5 million. Kurtlar Vadisi Irak, produced by Pana Film and G.O.R.A., shot by Böcek Yapım, are referred to as the most expensive productions in Turkish cinema history. The films cost $10 million and $5 million, respectively, to make.

Kabadayı, produced by Filma Cass and Fida, had a price tag of $4 million. A.R.O.G, which will be in theatres in December, cost YTL 8.5 million. Ulak, produced by Avşar Film, is also among the more expensive movies.