Structuring international co-productions.

A co-production lets a single film or series earn an incentive in more than one country. Done well, it stacks Hungary's 30–37.5% cash rebate with a partner territory's support and pushes the blended, non-dilutive return well past what either country offers alone. Done badly, the two regimes fight each other. Here is how the major structures work.

The principle

Qualifying spend in each territory earns that territory's incentive. Split a $10 million budget 60% Hungary / 40% partner, and you claim Hungary's 37.5% on the Hungarian leg and the partner's rate on theirs. Treaty status or a qualifying co-production structure lets both apply to one picture. The art is putting the right spend in the right place.

The major partners

Canada

The heavyweight. Manitoba pays a 38% cost-of-production credit rising toward 65% on labor with bonuses; BC, Ontario and Québec stack federal and provincial credits; Telefilm can add equity on certified content. Hungary carries the build, Canada carries post and North American exteriors.

Spain

Mainland Spain offers up to 30%, and the Canary Islands up to 50% — a Hungary–Canaries stack can blend past 41%. Spain adds Mediterranean, Moorish and volcanic looks.

United Kingdom

The UK's AVEC delivers ~25%, with a much richer independent-film credit for qualifying lower-budget features and a VFX uplift. British craft and post, Hungarian value.

Germany & Austria

Germany's DFFF/GMPF plus regional funds provide ~25% and a large market; Austria's FISAplus offers up to 35% two hours from Budapest. Both are natural, low-friction neighbors.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's 40% scaling toward 60% makes a Saudi–Hungary structure one of the highest combined-return options anywhere — desert epics on one leg, European stages on the other.

New Zealand & Australia

New Zealand's 20%+5% and elite VFX suit fantasy and adventure; Australia's 30% Location Offset plus PDV and state incentives give two well-incentivized, English-friendly floors on opposite sides of the world.

The goal is additive, not competing, incentives — and a spend map that puts each dollar where it earns the most.

What actually makes a co-production qualify

• Treaty or qualifying structure between the territories (or via a co-production convention).
• Points / cultural tests in each country — Hungary needs 16 of 32.
• Certified spend tracked separately per leg so each incentive audits cleanly.
• Creative and financial thresholds — minimum partner contributions, key-creative nationality, and so on.

How we run it

As your Hungarian partner (Dopamine Ventures Kft.), we structure the Hungarian leg to 37.5%, run the cultural test, and coordinate with your partner's producers and funding bodies so the regimes are additive. We can also finance the Hungarian rebate upfront. Start by modeling any pairing in the calculator.