Romania will soon have a tax incentives program, to be launched most probably at the beginning of 2018.  This was the most interesting piece of news for producers attending Romania welcomes Hollywood, organized at the AFM by double4Studios (the studios opened four years ago in Los Angeles by Romanian filmmaker and producer Andrei Zinca, with the goal of fostering productions and co-productions between American – and international – companies and Romania).

“We have to mainly thank the foreign producers who pushed the government hard for the new law on tax incentives”, declared Ada Solomon, probably the most well-known and accredited Romanian producer (Golden Bear at the 2013 Berlinale for “A Child’s Pose” and executive producer of Toni Erdmann”).

One of those was Robert Bernacchi – Unit Production Manager for Warner Brothers – who has a long list of films produced in Romania including the recent “War Dogs”.  “I started working in Romania at the end of the ‘90s when the industry was taking its first steps and every crew member had to be created from zero”.

Meanwhile Castel Film Studios was born which today counts 11 sound stages and 65 acres of backlots and has made 250 films and over 800 commercials.

The overall investment for the tax credit will be € 100 million in four years, and it allows for the refunding of 20% of the expenses carried out in Romania, “to which another 5% can be added in the event that the film qualifies for its ability to promote Romania as a tourist destination”, explains Mihai Fulger, member of the board of the Romanian Film Fund that supports Romanian productions or co-productions.