Countries Co-Producing The Most American Films

With the globalization of mass media and the marketplace at large, films are increasingly being produced across borders.

6. Multinational Film-making Environment

Major motion pictures are expensive and time consuming to make. Whether it’s a period piece set in Victorian England, or an ultra high tech science fiction blockbuster, taking a film from script to the big screen is a long and complex process. Because of the abundance of financial and logistic factors that come into play, modern movies are often produced by numerous production companies. Many American films are co-produced with an array of foreign countries. Statistics from 2013 reveal that during this year a total of 738 feature films were released by American studios. 12.7% of those movies were co-productions involving the collaboration of American and foreign film companies. The number of co-produced films which came out in 2013 totaled 94.

5. Examples of Multinational U.S. Film Productions

It should be pointed out that many of the co-produced flicks involved the combined efforts of the U.S. as well as participation from several other foreign nations at once. One example of such a film is Canadian auteur David Cronenberg’s 2014 release Maps to the Stars. This satirical dramatic comedic was brought to the big screen through the combined efforts of film companies in Canada, the U.S., Germany, and France alike. A more recent example of a multi-national co-production is the critically acclaimed drama The Danish Girl, starring Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne. While this transgender drama was filmed in countries such as Belgium, Denmark, England, Norway, and Germany the actual production was financed by companies based in the U.K., U.S., and Germany.

4. The U.K. Co-Produces the Most U.S. Films

The country which co-produces more American films than any other is the United Kingdom. In 2013, 33 U.S. feature films were co-produced there. According to the British Film Commission, the country’s official co-production treaty affords foreign filmmakers with financial as well as tax benefits. The commission’s website also features an array of practical information geared to encouraging American producers to produce their pictures in the country. Info available includes estimated flight times from New York and Los Angeles to the U.K., info on getting work permits and visas, smoking regulations, and currency exchange rates.

3. French Connections

In 2013, a total of 17 American films were co-produced with France. One example of a major U.S. French co-production is the 2014 action flick 3 Days to Kill, starring Kevin Costner. Portions of this film were shot north of Paris in the Cite du Cinema studio, which is partially supported by famed French filmmaker Luc Besson. One of the main reasons for the development of this large production facility, which opened in 2012, was specifically to provide American film companies with a state of the art studio in which to shoot their pictures.

2. Other Nations Lending a Hand

Other countries which regularly co-produce American films include Canada and Germany. In 2013, a total of 13 U.S. feature films were co-produced with participation from Canada. That same year, Germany co-produced 11 U.S. motion pictures as well. Rounding out the top ten countries co-producing the most American films in 2013 was China with nine, Mexico with six, and Argentina and Belgium with four co-productions with U.S. filmmakers apiece.

1. Foreign Markets With Big Growth Potential

Brazil and India each co-produced three American movies in 2013. Interestingly, unlike many other foreign countries, India, which has its own well-established domestic film industry, doesn’t have a co-production treaty with the U.S. Recently, however, efforts are being made to foster greater cooperation between the two countries in regards to film production. Similarly, according to a 2015 article in Variety, efforts are currently underway to encourage increased American co-production with Brazilian film companies. These Brazil-U.S. cooperative measures include various programs offering mutual incentives to both countries’ producers.


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