Kazakhstan joins the International Film Commission Association (AFCI)
The team of the State Center for the Support of National Cinema completed comprehensive work at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. One of the main achievements of the multi-day negotiations with partners from different countries within the framework of the film festival, which was preceded by the great work of the entire Cinema Center, was the entry of the SCPC into the International Association of Film Commissions (AFCI).
The International Film Commission Association is a worldwide network of more than 360 commissions from 40 countries. AFCI represents professional film commissions, as well as their offices and employees, sets standards, offers training, business and marketing opportunities for the implementation of film projects around the world.
In fact, this is one of the few organizations that has access to the world’s most respected filmmakers. AFCI is headquartered in Los Angeles (USA).
AFCI holds two landmark events annually. This is a symposium of the International Association of Film Commissions, last year St. Petersburg won the right to host this meeting. Anna Kachko, chief adviser to the chairman of the board of the National Center for National Cinema Support, became one of the participants and speakers of the September meeting of AFCI, she took part in a panel discussion with Vice-President of Universal Studios Kristen Carr Strubbe, President of the International Film Commission Association Jess Konopliya and President of the International Women Association in film and television »Helen Granqvist. Anna Kachko spoke about the work of the Cinema Center and the new rebate system (the return of part of the funds spent by foreign film companies in Kazakhstan), introduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2019. Another large-scale event in the life of AFCI is the Week of Film Commission Representatives in Los Angeles, where, as a rule, the largest Hollywood studios participate.
Along with joining AFCI, Kazakh Cinema began work on joining the European Film Commission Association (EUFCN). An agreement on this was also reached at the Berlinale after negotiations with the president of this organization, Truls Conney.
Joining the AFCI will help Kazakhstan position itself on the world map of the film industry as a country where there is everything necessary for filming large film projects. For example: the first country in the post-Soviet space that created the film commission was Georgia. The result of the long work of this organization was the shooting of the ninth series of the popular movie franchise “Fast and Furious” on the central streets of Tbilisi.
So, it is likely that in the coming years we will be able to see the largest stars of Hollywood blockbusters in our homeland.