Film law

HAVEL & PARTNERS has one of the leading film law practices in the Czech Republic, representing national and international film producers and financiers. As a truly full service law firm, we are capable of advising on all aspects related to film production in the Czech Republic.

We assist international film producers

• assistance and representation in all stages of the application procedure for film production incentives, from filing the application to payment of the incentive to the client’s account
• drafting and assistance in negotiating contracts for all stages of film production, including production service agreements, distribution agreements, agreements with crew members and cast, location agreements, agreements on the provision of services and many other
• advice on intellectual property rights in audio-visual works
• assistance with establishing Czech operations, if required
• communication with the Czech State Cinematography Fund and competent regulatory bodies

We also advise international financiers on

• advice on regulatory aspects of Czech film production incentives
• review of financing documentation from Czech law and regulatory perspectives
• preparation and negotiation of a local security package
• communication with banks, regulators and other stakeholders

Major projects

• advising a major world production company in connection with co-production of a VOD TV series in the Czech Republic worth several tens of millions Czech crowns, including completion and negotiation of the entire production contractual package and legal aspects of film incentives
• advising one of the largest US film producers on the production of a TV series in the Czech Republic, including Czech film incentives (approx. USD 36 million)
• advising a UK co-production group on financing a TV series production in the Czech Republic and utilising Czech film incentives (approx. USD 30 million)
• advising a UK-Czech-French co-production on contractual arrangements in respect of a historic film production in the Czech Republic, including Czech film incentives (approx. USD 7 million in local production costs)
• advising a US producer on a contemplated stop-motion feature movie with regards to local conditions for obtaining Czech film incentives (originally planned production costs over USD 35 million)
• advising a significant British producer on contractual arrangements with a Czech co-producer structured in order to benefit from Czech film incentives