Canada × Hungary.
How to structure a Canada–Hungary film or TV co-production: stack Hungary's 30–37.5% cash rebate with Canada's incentives (38% (up to 65% on labor) + Telefilm). Worked $10M example, location strategy and a calculator.
Structuring a Canada–Hungary co-production
Canada is Hungary's most powerful co-production partner. A treaty structure lets qualifying Canadian spend earn provincial and federal credits while your Hungarian spend earns the 30–37.5% cash rebate — and certified Canadian content can draw Telefilm equity on top.
The incentive stack, province by province
Canada layers a federal credit under every provincial program. Foreign-service productions use the federal PSTC (16% of qualifying Canadian labor); certified Canadian content uses the CPTC (25% of qualifying labor). Each province then adds its own credit or rebate on top, and the numbers below are indicative effective returns on the provincial leg once the federal layer is stacked.
| Province / Territory | Program | Indicative effective return |
|---|---|---|
| Manitoba | 38% cost-of-production credit, or labor credit reaching ~65% with Frequent Filming, Producer and Rural & Northern bonuses | 38–65% |
| British Columbia | PSTC/FIBC provincial credits on BC labor + DAVE digital-animation/VFX uplift, stacked federally | ~35% |
| Ontario | OPSTC (21.5% of eligible Ontario spend) or OFTTC for domestic content, plus OCASE for VFX/animation | ~35% |
| Québec | Production Services Credit (~25% of qualifying costs, +16% VFX/animation uplift), stacked federally | ~36–45% |
| Alberta | Film & Television Tax Credit (22–30% of eligible Alberta spend), per-project caps apply | ~30% |
| Saskatchewan | Film Employment Tax Credit on Saskatchewan labor + federal PSTC | ~25% |
| Nova Scotia | Film & Television Production Incentive Fund (25–32% of eligible costs, regional uplift) | ~32% |
| New Brunswick | Multimedia Initiative on eligible NB labor + federal PSTC | ~30% |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | Provincial labor-based credit and equity program + federal PSTC | ~30% |
| Prince Edward Island | Screen PEI rebate on eligible island spend + federal PSTC | ~25% |
| Yukon | Location, training and travel rebates + federal PSTC | ~35% |
| Northwest Territories | NWT Film Rebate on territorial spend + federal PSTC | ~25% |
| Nunavut | Nunavut Spend Incentive Program + federal PSTC | ~25% |
Provincial programs change frequently and most carry caps, residency tests and allocation limits. Treat the column above as a screening range — we confirm current terms with each provincial agency before you commit. Telefilm Canada can add equity or a top-up on certified Canadian content.
Worked example — a $10M budget
| Leg | Spend | Rate | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary (60%) | $6,000,000 | 37.5% | $2,250,000 |
| Canada (40%) | $4,000,000 | 38% | $1,520,000 |
| Combined | $10,000,000 | 37.7% eff. | $3,770,000 |
Indicative only. Real numbers depend on the qualifying-spend split, treaty status and points tests in each territory. Bonuses and top-ups (e.g. Telefilm, regional funds, labor uplifts) can raise the Canada figure further.
Locations: who shoots what
For the shoot itself, Hungary carries the physical build while Canadian spend covers post, VFX or a second-unit block back home. Budapest doubles for European capitals; the Canadian leg handles North American exteriors and any Canadian-content story points needed for certification.
How Dopamine runs it
As your Hungarian partner — Dopamine Ventures Kft. is a registered Hungarian company — we structure the Hungarian leg to 37.5%, run the cultural test, and coordinate with your Canada partner and its funding bodies so the two incentives are additive rather than in conflict. And we can arrange to finance the Hungarian rebate upfront. Model this structure in the calculator →
Questions producers ask us
How does a Canada–Hungary co-production work?
What is the combined return on a Canada–Hungary structure?
Can Dopamine finance the Hungarian rebate upfront?
Related insights
Bring your production to Hungary.
Tell us the budget and territory. We'll model the rebate and plan the floor — and we can arrange to monetize the rebate upfront.
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