skip

Co-production

Qualifying as a British film under one of the UK's official co-production treaties provides a number of advantages: productions are eligible to apply for UK Film Council funding and for the benefits of the UK's tax relief system. Films made as official co-productions are not required to pass the Cultural Test for British film.

Bi-lateral co-production treaties

Film being made in a public space The UK currently has seven active bi-lateral treaties with:

European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production

The UK is one of many countries currently signed up to the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production. You can view a copy of the agreement and list signatories on the Council of Europe website.    

New treaties

Negotiations are underway to establish new bi-lateral treaties with China and Morocco. 

Applications for British Film Certification under the Co-production Treaties

Before you make your application please read through the co-production guidelines. Applications for British Film Certification should be made to the UK Film Council Certification Unit. Producers should apply for Provisional Certification at least 4 weeks before Principal Photography starts.

or write to:
The Certification Unit
UK Film Council
10 Little Portland Street
London W1W 7JG

or you can ask for a form by telephone: 020 7861 7521  or by e-mail: certification@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk.

List of productions which have received final certification under a co-production agreement..

Further Information

Filmmakers are encouraged to contact the Certification Unit as early as possible to discuss their application. The unit are happy to meet producers at any stage of development and work with them on their applications. For further details on the Cultural Test or to discuss a particular project please telephone Thalia Baldwin, UK Film Council Certification Manager, on +44 (0)20 7861 7521 or e-mail: Thalia.Baldwin@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk or certification@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk.

Specialist Advice

The UK Film Council can provide advice to co-producers on structuring films as official co-productions.  Information is available from the UK Film Council International Department. Contact: telephone: +44 (0) 20 7861 7861 or e-mail coproduction@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk.

You can also view HMRC's guidance on tax relief and co-productions on their website. For further information on UK tax relief, click here. Media lawyers and accountants can provide advice on British qualification and accessing UK tax relief. Contacts can be found in the UK production directories below.

How to find a UK co-producer

The following sources are useful for finding contacts for UK producers/production companies: