International
Film Production Capital opens offices in Australia
MUMBAI: Tax credit-based financier Film Production Capital (FPC), owned by Will French, has opened its office in Australia to capitalise on growing government tax incentives behind the boom in Australian film and television production.
The company has begun the search to hire a local head of operations and is currently finalising plans for a syndicate of US and Australian banks to provide a credit facility that FPC will then use to lend against two schemes.
The schemes are the Producer Offset programme, a refundable offset of up to 40 per cent of the Australian production spend for films with significant Australian content and the Location Offset programme, a refundable offset of up to 15 per cent of the Australian production spend for any producer shooting in Australia, regardless of the film‘s Australian content.
FPC launched in Louisiana in 2003 and till date sources close to the company said it had financed or acquired tax credits for nearly 70 productions including the upcoming The Expendables, Stone and Father Of Invention as well as previous releases such as Premonition and Ray.
FPC also has branches in Arizona, Georgia, Massachusetts and Michigan and currently has 12 films in various stages of production.
International
Council of Europe to unveil new TV and streaming co-production convention
Series Mania Forum to host landmark signing to boost global TV collaboration
LILLE: The small screen is getting a big policy push. At this year’s Series Mania Forum in Lille, Alain Berset will take centre stage to chair the opening ceremony for a new international convention aimed at reshaping how television and streaming series are co-produced across borders.
Set for March 26 at the Théâtre Marie Curie in Lille Grand Palais, the signing marks the debut of the first legal framework dedicated specifically to the independent co-production of series. In an industry where stories travel faster than ever, the move aims to make collaboration smoother, fairer and more transparent.
Backed by the Council of Europe, the convention is designed to strengthen cultural ties, give independent producers a firmer footing, and bring greater clarity to deals in a rapidly evolving content landscape. With streaming platforms fuelling a surge in global storytelling, the timing feels deliberate.
Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset, underscored the cultural heft of series today, noting how they carry voices and viewpoints across borders. He called on member states and countries beyond Europe to sign on, framing the initiative as a way to turn culture into a tool for cooperation and democratic exchange.
For Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg, hosting the signing is both symbolic and strategic. She described the convention as a step that could widen the range of stories reaching audiences, staying true to the forum’s long-standing mission of championing diverse storytelling.
The ceremony will unfold alongside the Lille Dialogues, a high-level summit that gathers policymakers and industry leaders to debate the future of Europe’s audiovisual sector. Berset is also set to deliver the opening address there, adding political weight to a week already rich in creative ambition.
In short, as screens multiply and borders blur, Europe is putting a framework in place to ensure that storytelling keeps pace, collaboratively and coherently.
