Guidelines
Eligibility

Where the work must take place

The co-production arrangements provide that the film must be made in the co-production countries. The means that the entire film – generally from pre-production up to and including the striking of a release print or digital equivalent – must be made in the co-producing countries. Note, however, that some co-production arrangements provide for the competent authorities to consider requests to undertake location filming outside the co-producing countries in exceptional circumstances (see Location filming below).

Further, some flexibility exists in the Australia–Singapore treaty, which allows the competent authorities to jointly approve filming elsewhere where filming in Singapore or Australia is technically impossible.

The Australia-New Zealand MOU is silent on the issue of where the film is to be made.

The table below outlines the requirements of the various arrangements.

Place where the
film is to be made:

Films shall be made (including studio and location shooting), dubbed (where relevant) and processed up to first release print in Australia, the co-producing country or the country of a third co-producer.

UK, China, Germany, Ireland, Israel, South Africa

As above

Canada

As above

(up to answer print)

France

As above

And distribution copies shall be processed in each relevant country.

Italy

As above

And all distribution copies shall be processed in the country holding minority financial participation.

Singapore

As above

But the competent authorities may jointly approve an exception to the above if, and only to the extent that, compliance with the requirement is technically impossible.

New Zealand

Silent on where the film is to be made.

 

Location filming

Most co-production arrangements also allow location filming to be undertaken in a non-party country (for example where the script requires the film to be shot in such a country because of geographical features). This is usually subject to the approval of the relevant competent authorities.

Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, UK

The competent authorities shall have the power to approve location filming in a country other than the countries of the participating co-producers.

France, New Zealand

Silent on location shooting

Where location filming has been approved by the competent authorities, co-production arrangements generally provide for limited numbers of non-key participants from the country/ies in which location filming has been approved (such as local crowd artists or local technicians) to be engaged, subject to the approval of the competent authorities.
The relevant requirements are outlined in the table below.

Canada, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Singapore, South Africa

Where the competent authorities have approved location filming in a country other than that of participating co-producers, nationals or residents of that country may be employed as crowd artists, in small roles, or as additional employees whose services are necessary for the location work to be undertaken.

China, Italy, UK

As above

But only if the conditions of employment for non-party nationals are, in broad terms, no less favourable than those of the co-production countries.

France

Silent on foreign personnel and crowd artists

New Zealand

Subject to the approval of the competent authorities, the participation of persons other than Australians and New Zealanders can be allowable where the co-production film requires it.