Posted 20th June, 2001

Tomb Raider Team Praises Iceland Experience

Iceland Offers 12 Percent Rebate On All Production

NEW YORK, NY -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 06/20/2001 -- From its huge geysers and glaciers, steaming thermal pools, and lava-strewn moonscapes that were once a training ground for NASA astronauts, the country of Iceland offers a range of remote locations for commercial and film production.

In the Paramount Pictures action adventure, Tomb Raider, based upon video-game heroine Lara Croft, the natural wonders of Iceland stand-in for Siberia. According to the Paramount Pictures press kit, Lara Croft takes control of a team of wild huskies for an exhilarating race across a glacier in the "stunningly alien" landscape of Iceland.

Chris Brock, unit manager on Tomb Raider, said, "This was a difficult shoot because of our location on the Vatnajokull glacier and in an ice lagoon. Yet, the Icelandic crew we hired from Saga Films was extremely professional and worked extremely long hours. I'd advise any production team to consider an Icelandic location for their projects."

Now, producing films or videos in this Ohio-sized island nation has become 12 percent less expensive thanks to a rebate program by the Government of Iceland. Sigurjon "Joni" Sighvatsson, Iceland-born Hollywood producer of Twin Peaks, Arlington Road, and K-19, co-founder of Propaganda Films, and CEO of Palomar Pictures, says that film producers can also take advantage of long periods of daylight - up to twenty hours in the summer – and lingering twilight.

The reimbursement program reduces by 12 percent domestic production costs, including out-of-pocket expenses originating in Iceland and all salaries and sub-contractor payments taxable in the country. "When you consider Iceland's incredible natural scenery, attractive population, and strong work ethic, and combine it with a 12 percent rebate program, the country ranks right up there as one of the most desirable shooting locations in the world," said Magnus Bjarnason, the New York-based Trade Commissioner for Iceland in North America.

What's more, Iceland is closer to the East coast than Hollywood or British Columbia. In fact, Reykjavík is only 2-1/2-hours from London and five hours from New York. Jon Thor Hannesson, president and CEO of Saga Films, adds, "In Iceland, you don't have to go far to get to a remote location. There's a lot available including very exotic landscapes within a few hours of Reykjavik, a lively small city with great restaurants, bars, and discos."

Hannesson continues, "Once on a shoot for MasterCard, we literally panned the camera 3 times (about 45 degrees each time), and in the frame there was a completely different landscape, each representing a different continent. One for Africa, one for China and one for India."

Recent U.S. commercials shot in Iceland include spots for Cadillac, Coca-Cola, Ford Explorer, Jeep Cherokee, and MasterCard. Films shot on location in the country include Hal Hartley's latest film, No Such Thing, executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and Fridrik Thor Fridriksson; Judge Dredd, 2nd Unit; and the opening scene in the James Bond thriller, A View to a Kill. The story of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, starring Kenneth Branagh, was partially shot in Iceland for a TV movie set to air on British television.

To qualify for reimbursement, film producers must also establish an Icelandic limited liability company, which can be 100 percent owned by foreign corporations or individuals, to handle production in Iceland. The films can be in any language and it's not necessary to hire an Icelandic cast, although the rebate is based upon money spent within the country. Financial statements should be submitted up front and registered with the government upon completion of the project according to Pall Magnusson, Assistant to the Minister of Industry and Commerce.

For more information visit:
www.icelandnaturally.com
www.invest.is/english/index.html
 
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