The Kingdom of Jordan: The Place to Movie-Make

 Jordan has moved to the front of the pack by releasing a tiered cash-rebate program for filmmakers - with reimbursement of up to 45% of the local-spend on production. This 45% excludes the automatic exemption from the country's 16% value-added tax and 10% withholding tax, so the total reimbursement could reach a whooping 66%.

"We studied every rival country from all over the world and decided we had to out-incentivize each of them" says Mohannad al-Bakri, Managing Director of the Royal Film Commission (RFC). "Between the rebate, zero tax, and production crews that can step straight onto a movie set, Jordan is now the country with the most cost-effective moviemaking worldwide. 

Under the new scheme, foreign and local movie shoots start at a 25% cash rebate and accelerate to 45% by hiring Jordanian crews, showcasing Jordanian landscapes and culture, or agreeing to on-screen promotional placement of local goods and services. 

Jordan sits in the middle of the Middle East

"We've also slashed the bureaucratic red tape", states Ahmad al-Khatib, Jordanian cultural and communications manager. "Gear can clear customs in 24 hours, visas are bundled, and our liaison personnel streamline the production process - whether the use of drones, street scenes, or car chases, etc." 

Jordan's Queen Rania & King Abdullah, avid backers of the RFC

'Dune', 'Star Wars', 'The Martian' were all shot in Jordan. The RFC hosts 'familiarization' tours for producers and directors looking for a place to shoot. Additionally, the RFC manages six training facilities in Amman (Jordan's capitol) where all the necessary elements that make up moviemaking are taught. 

Essentially the Jordanian government is bankrolling a large chunk of every film produced within Jordan in return for jobs, skills transfers, and tourism dollars. And there is no censorship by the government.

So, with a 45% cash back deal, trained production crews, and a hands-free government the Jordanian offer is extremely alluring to many filmmakers.

By: Jim Lavorato