Romania

Produced by Kevin Costner’s Territory Pictures with Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment and Leslie Greif’s Big Dreams Entertainment, The Gray House was the first foreign film produced in Romania where the entire artistic management team was made up of Romanian crew. The team included production designer Adrian Curelea, who has worked as supervising art director on series including Netflix’s Wednesday and the BBC’s Around The World In 80 Days, and costume designer Oana Paunescu whose credits include What Happened To Monday and Backdraft 2. 

“The quality of production crews is certainly at a high standard, with many HoDs going on to win international prizes for their work,” notes Wayne Henry of UK-based Dramaworks, while veteran US producer Jim Stark, who has worked with filmmakers from the region including Romania’s Corneliu Porumboiu and Hungary’s Szabolcs Hajdu, points to “the history of very interesting, sometimes elaborate and beautiful visual storytelling. They have some great DPs and production designers.” 

Anita Schneider, head of production for Germany’s Wiedemann & Berg Film, also has only positive news to report about Romania, having shot family film The Three Investigators — Legacy Of The Dragon, which was the most popular local film at German cinemas last year. “We were five weeks in Romania — three weeks in the Castel Film Studios and two weeks around Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, which we made our main location,” recalls Schneider. “We brought the HoDs from Germany, but most of the crew was Romanian. We worked with Ada Solomon of microFILM [as service producer] and were very pleased with the collaboration.”

"Due to the lack of tax incentive, the film market was a little slow," says Giuliano Doman executive producer at Family Film."We had to focus more on commercials. Returning clients and new ones from Germany, Austria, Canada, USA, UK, South Korea, India and France have visited us in 2023 and 2024.  

"Now, with the new tax incentive in place we are discussing a number of feature films that should get into production end of this year and in 2025. Of course we will always be there for our commercial partners as usual."

Idea Film's executive partner Ionut Ionescu says: "Romania offers an incredible variety of film production resources. From stunning locations and professional crews to state-of-the-art technology and equipment, Romania has everything you need to bring your vision to life."

The striking variety of locations is often what appeals to international producers. Universals Dragonheart Vengeance filmed at the Râșnov Fortress, the volcanic crater in Racoș, and Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula’s castle. While The Asset filmed in the beautiful capital city of Bucharest, dubbed the ‘Paris of the East’.

“There are amazing architectural masterpieces across Romania, like Hunedoara Castle, Sinaia Casino, Snagov Palace, and the Palace of Culture Iași,” Giuliano Doman, executive producer at local production service providers Family Film, tells KFTV. “Nature has also given us some of the most beautiful roads, like Transfăgărășan, Transalpina, Transrarău and Transbucegi. These are amongst the best-known places internationally, but our fields, mountains, rural landscapes are truly inspiring and rare, in every season.”

"Romania covers almost all landscapes and the variety of locations is huge, from ancient, classic to modern," he adds.

These locations can also double for other countries, adds Doman. “For example, the mountains resemble the Swiss Alps, the Eastern side of Romania can simulate Wild West landscapes, the forests are similar to the ones from Germany, and the Transfăgărășan road resembles St Gotthard Pass in Switzerland, Stelvio Pass in Italy or the Trollstigen in Norway.

Producers can expect to have permits arranged within about 48 hours for most locations, while shutting streets in Bucharest can take a few days longer.

Buftea Studios covers an area of almost 100 acres with 21,500 square metres of studio space, 19 soundstages and four indoor water tanks, and is located 35 minutes from Bucharest in the town of Buftea. Standing sets on the extensive backlot include a Los Angeles street, Boston set, western village and six fully equipped contemporary houses. 

Castel Film Studios, north of Bucharest, has 10 soundstages ranging in size from 600 to 3,354 square metres, and standing sets including a Gothic church, suburban US and a western town, as well as access to an adjacent forest and an 11-mile natural lake near the studio.

"Whether you need picturesque landscapes or modern studios, Romania's infrastructure supports all aspects of film production," says Ionescu. 

"Almost every existing piece of equipment can be found here. And the crews are always willing to help and find the best solution for the project," adds Doman.

There are direct international flights to Bucharest as well as many other cities around the country such as Cluj, Sibiu and Iasi. Romania’s motorway network is one of the smallest in the EU, accounting for only 5.3% of the country’s total road length. In rural areas, the road quality tends to deteriorate, and drivers should always keep an eye out for random livestock, deer and animal herders suddenly crossing the road.

"With its central location in Europe, you're just hours away from major cities like Berlin, Paris, and London, making it a convenient and efficient choice for international productions," says Ionescu.