BELGRADE, Serbia / WYOMING, USA - The Serbian Film Commission (SFC) today announced it has been officially admitted to the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) just seven months after its establishment.  This will further increase awareness of Serbia as a destination for foreign film productions and expand business for Serbia's film industry.

AFCI is the official and only professional and educational organization that provides support for more than 330 film commissions who assist feature, television, commercial, documentary, industrial and stills production in the locations they represent.  Membership in AFCI demonstrates the Serbian film industry's commitment to high-quality, professional productions and offers an unparalleled opportunity for film professionals to network and promote Serbia internationally as a re-emerging film location destination.  

"Serbia has a lot to offer.  It's not just the versatile locations; it's also the cost effectiveness in a time of global economical crisis, and above all competent crews and a ‘can do' attitude that we are famous for in international film industry ", states the President of the SFC Ivan Pribićević. "This is a golden opportunity to turn our strong points into market advantages. For that we will need broader industry and governmental support, which is our main objective in the near future. It is extremely positive that the Ministries of Economy and Culture, at the initiative of the Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) appreciate the benefits of introducing an incentive program that will make Serbia even more attractive for international filmmakers. We are hearing from colleagues from the US and UK that there is a ‘buzz' about Serbia being ‘the next big thing' as a filming locations and we have seen a number of major foreign production companies scouting locations in Serbia in the last year. Incentives will provide the key tool to make Serbia the newest film location in Europe".

The SCF was founded in July 2009 by 16 prominent representatives of the Serbia film industry. SFC is dedicated to promoting Serbia as an international film location destination, advancing a film-friendly environment for incoming productions, and provides the best possible onsite filming experience. SFC enjoys the support of SIEPA, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in seeking to introduce a film incentives program in Serbia in the coming months.