Grant to Films - Foreign Language Films

What is the Grant to Films for foreign language films?

Grant to Films - Foreign Language Films is an incentive under clause 6(4) of the Uttarakhand Film Policy 2024, notified by the Information and Public Relations Department and administered by the Uttarakhand Film Development Council (UFDC). The policy sets out at clause 3(10) that Uttarakhand intends to give appropriate grants to foreign, Hindi and other language films in order to encourage film shooting in the state, and clause 6(4) is the foreign-language half of that commitment.

The scheme exists because Uttarakhand wants international productions to spend real money inside the state, hiring local crew, booking local accommodation and services — rather than using its landscapes as a free backdrop. The state has been marketed since 2017 as India's most film-friendly state, and the Council pairs this grant with a single-window shooting permission system that clears applications within a maximum of two weeks.

Grant to Films - Foreign Language Films is an institutional incentive, not a citizen benefit. The policy states that the grant is provided to the film producer or their duly authorised representative, whether an individual or an institution.

How much is the grant for a foreign language film?

Under clause 6(4)(A) of the Uttarakhand Film Policy 2024, a foreign language film shot in Uttarakhand that has incurred a minimum expenditure of more than Rs 3 crore in the state, and that accurately portrays the shooting locations in the state, is eligible for:

• 50 percent of the expenditure incurred in Uttarakhand, or
• up to Rs 3 crore, whichever is less.

Clause 6(4)(B) adds that the maximum sanctioned amount will be assessed on the quality and technical aspects of the film, so the ceiling is not automatic. Clause 6(4)(C) provides an additional 5 percent of the sanctioned grant where the authentic, real names of Uttarakhand locations are used in the film.

For comparison, the same policy gives Hindi and other-language films with a budget of Rs 50 crore or more 30 percent of in-state expenditure up to Rs 3 crore, and the invest Uttarakhand film shooting portal describes a 50 percent subsidy up to Rs 2 crore for regional language films. The foreign language category therefore carries the policy's most generous percentage.

Who is eligible, and who cannot apply?

A production can claim if:

• The film is a foreign language film shot in Uttarakhand.
• The production spent more than Rs 3 crore inside the state.
• The shooting locations in the state are accurately portrayed in the film, and every filming location in Uttarakhand appears in the credits roll.
• Shooting was done at a minimum of 4K resolution with Dolby Digital or better sound.
• The film was exhibited on more than 50 cinema screens in its home country and/or other countries, and streamed on the relevant OTT platforms in its region.
• The producer holds a Government of India permission letter for shooting a foreign film and a Council shooting permission letter.
• At least 90 percent of total expenditure was paid through bank, cheque, online transfer, internet banking, UPI or other digital media.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• You are an individual citizen, viewer, actor or crew member hoping for a personal payment. Only the producer or their duly authorised representative can claim.
• The production spent Rs 3 crore or less inside Uttarakhand.
• You are claiming marketing, promotion or release costs. Only production expenditure incurred within the state is eligible.
• More than 10 percent of total expenditure was in cash. Cash is permitted only in unavoidable circumstances on a chartered accountant's certification and can never exceed 10 percent of the total.
• The proposal is filed more than one year after the film censor certificate, without written permission from the Council to deviate.
• The film was streamed only on an OTT platform not on the Council's approved list. The Council determines permissible platforms from time to time.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the foreign language film grant

Application is institutional and offline in the sense that a producer files a grant proposal with the Council. Shooting permission itself is online through the single-window system.

1. Apply online for shooting permission through the single-window system on the invest Uttarakhand film shooting portal before you begin. All related departments give their consent within one week and the Council issues its online approval within a maximum of two weeks.
2. Obtain the Government of India permission letter for shooting a foreign film. Clause 6(4) makes this a condition of the grant, not an optional extra.
3. Shoot in at least 4K with Dolby Digital sound, keep a day-by-day record of shooting in the state, geo-tag the locations and retain work-in-progress and behind-the-scenes stills. Name every Uttarakhand location in the credits.
4. Pay through banking channels. Keep at least 90 percent of total spending on bank transfer, cheque, internet banking or UPI, and have a chartered accountant certify any unavoidable cash, which cannot exceed 10 percent.
5. Release the film on more than 50 cinema screens in your home country and/or other countries and stream it on the relevant OTT platforms.
6. Get the accounts certified. Have a chartered accountant prepare the statement of in-state expenditure, supported by invoices and bills.
7. File the grant proposal with the Uttarakhand Film Development Council within one year of the film censor certificate, attaching the affidavit, permissions, expenditure statement, geo-tagged report and release evidence.
8. Track the meeting cycle. A proposal received by 31 March is taken up in the July subsidy meeting; one received by 31 October is taken up in January.

How is the proposal decided?

The Uttarakhand Film Policy 2024 sets out a three-stage route:

• A technical committee, chaired by the Vice Chairman of the Council with the Director General / Chief Executive Officer as ex-officio member and the Nodal Officer as secretary, examines the proposal technically. Where the Vice Chairman and nominated members are not in place, the Director General Information / Chief Executive Officer chairs instead, with the Chief Executive Officer of Tourism and the Director of Culture as members, and film experts may be invited.
• A finance committee then reviews the grant application and makes its recommendation.
• The final decision rests with the Chairman / Hon'ble Chief Minister, on the recommendation of the technical and finance committees.

All Council expenditure, including film grants, is met from the Information Department's and the Council's annual budget for the fiscal year.

What else does the policy give a foreign production?

• No shooting fee. Clause 15(3) bars the state government and every state department from charging a fee for film shooting.
• Forest charges abolished, except in Rajaji National Park and Corbett National Park, where prescribed rates still apply.
• Free police cover. On the producer's request the Senior Superintendent or Superintendent of Police stations a minimum of 5 officers at the shooting location free of charge for the duration of the shoot; officers beyond five are provided at notified rates.
• Accommodation support at Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam properties, state guest houses and hotels empanelled with the Information Department, against digital payment proofs.
• Line producer registration. The Council registers line producers with at least 3 years of documented experience in Uttarakhand and gives them priority.

Common reasons a claim fails

• In-state spend of exactly Rs 3 crore or less; clause 6(4) requires more than Rs 3 crore.
• Cash expenditure above 10 percent of the total, or spending that is not backed by invoices and a CA certificate.
• Marketing and promotion costs included in the claim, which the policy excludes.
• No Government of India permission letter for the foreign shoot.
• Shooting below 4K or without Dolby Digital sound.
• Filing later than one year after the censor certificate.
• Uttarakhand locations missing from the credits roll.

Where do I get help?

• Uttarakhand Film Development Council: Ring Road, Upper Nathanpur, Dehradun 248005.
• Phone: 0135-2662971
• Email: ufdc2015@gmail.com
• Shooting permission portal: investuttarakhand.uk.gov.in/filmshooting/

The Council's nodal officer is the single point of contact for both shooting permission and grant proposals. No fee is charged by the state for shooting permission, so any demand for one should be reported to the Chief Executive Officer of the Council.