F.A.Q's
What is the procedure of defining whether the project passes "Cultural Test"?
The decision is made by a committee consisting of the representatives from Entrepreneurship Development Agency, Kyrgyzstan National Film Center, and administration of the Government of Kyrgyzstan, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection, and Kyrgyzstan National Tourism Administration. The committee reviews the requests and makes a decision on 2-5 % rebate based on the country promotion criteria defined in the scope of the program. The committee membership as well as the protocol is confirmed by the CEO of Entrepreneurship Development Agency, who is also the Chair of the committee.
What are regarded as the qualified local expenses?
The notion qualified local expenses is defined in the Qualified Expenses Document. Generally eligible costs are applicant's expenses directly related to the production and incurred for hiring services of Kyrgyzstan residents and of legal entities registered and paying taxes in Kyrgyzstan.
Does the program have any restrictions/requirements on the audit companies that issue audit report on qualified expenses?
The reports issued by the following companies are accepted:
- Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau;
- PricewaterhouseCoopers;
- Deloitte;
- KPMG;
- (Grant Thornton);
- BDO;
- Baker Tilly;
- Smith & Williamson;
- PKF;
- Capto Group - RSM;
- Audit and Consulting Services - MGI Kyrgyzstan;
- Financial Management Group (FMG);
- Tsodna, LLC
What does 50% financing requirement imply?
For an application to be successful, proof that at least 50% of the production budget has been secured should be presented in the form of relevant official documentation showing investor's intent to finance the above-mentioned amount. Submission of a bank guarantee is not required.
What type of products is eligible under the program?
The end product must be one of the following: Feature film; TV film; TV series or mini-series (pilot episodes are eligible); animation; documentary films; commercial; reality show; music video.
What are the criteria of the so called "Cultural Test"?
To receive an additional 2-5% cash rebate the following Criteria, "Cultural Test" should be met:
- 1% - Production completed and released theatrically or on major network. 'Making of' showcases Kyrgyzstani shoot
- 1% - Employment of Kyrgyzstani citizen in at least one of the following categories:
- Lead Actress/Actor (first two positions in credits) / Director (first two positions in credits)
- Screenwriter (first two positions in credits) / Composer (first two positions in credits)
- Two supporting actresses/actors (first ten positions in credits)
- At least three Head of Departments (DP, first position in credits), Producer (first three positions in credits), Production Designer (first position in credits), Costume Designer (first position in credits), Line Producer (first position in credits), Production Manager/Unit Production Manager (first position in credits, only if the picture does not have a line producer)
- 1% - Use of one of the following Kyrgyzstanis elements in the production:
- Depiction of Kyrgyzstan as location (as a supertitle on screen or other indication)
- Story based on Kyrgyzstan literature piece / historical event
- Depiction of one of the national landmarks commonly associated with Kyrgyzstan, such as:
- UNESCO cultural heritage recognized sites and candidates
- Using landmarks from the approved list (40 sites)
What is the procedure of obtaining the cash rebate on the projects with qualifies expenses exceeding 5 million Som?
In case if the qualified expenses exceed 5, 000,000 SOM, Entrepreneurship Development Agency submits the project to the Government of Kyrgyzstan for the review.
Is there a per-project cap of cash rebate amount?
Enterprise Kyrgyzstan can automatically provide 15% cash rebate on qualified expenses amounting to no more than 5,000,000 SOM. If the amount of qualified expenses is higher than 5,000,000 SOM special approval of the Government of Kyrgyzstan is required.
Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other territories?
Our incentives take the form of a cash rebate on qualifying costs incurred in Kyrgyzstan. The cash rebate is given upon presentation of the audit reports after six months.
Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew?
Kyrgyzstan boasts a large, highly trained workforce with experience throughout various film departments so bringing your own foreign crew may not be necessary.
How do I find Kyrgyzstani crew?
For any production considering filming in Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyzstan Film Commission is able to provide tailored lists of Kyrgyzstani crew who have worked on recent inward investment films.
What are the major production studios in the territory?
A list of production studios is available on this site.
What is the availability of equipment in Kyrgyzstan?
A wide variety of film shoot equipment is avalable in Kyrgyzstan.
First point of contact
The Kyrgyzstan Film Commission is your first key point of contact for productions looking to film in the Kyrgyzstan