Balkan cinema cities

Who we are?
Bodies
Objectives
Regions & cities
Locations
The future

Who we are?

Balkan Cinema Cities is the first regional film fund for support of production and promotion of film activities that is backed by cities and countries from Southeastern Europe. BCC serves as Regional Film platform that encourages the inter-regional and cross-border co-operation. The goal of it, is to strengthen the co-development and co-production of audiovisual products, fusing talents and resources in different regions for a wider market. This includes stimulating artistic and creative exchange throughout Europe. BCC brings a strategic and integrated approach to the growth and development of the film industries in the provinces. We provide professional expertise and support to assist the network of regional film productions to facilitate motion picture production and economic growth. Our programs, services and investments act as a catalyst to help these sector realize their economic and creative potential and contribute to the future prosperity of the provinces and encourage the cultural and economic development in the region. BCC administration and facilities are situated in Bitola, Republic of Macedonia.

Smiley face

BCC contributes in promotion of film production in Macedonia, Albania and Bulgaria and in the developing of a solid film infrastructure in the region.
Through a regional perspective BCC shall contribute to increase the total national effort for film production.
BCC shall promote competition, quality and innovation and create opportunities for people working with film in the region to develop their skills.
BCC aims to use its resources to enhance the quality and quantity of film production in the region.
BCC will harmonize its guidelines with the goals for Macedonian, Albanian and Bulgarian film politics and cooperate with the film agencies and festivals in order to strengthen the film industry and reach the largest possible audience.

BCC views film production in these territories as one of the most important ways of promoting their potential. BCC provides financial support for film productions in order to attract audiovisual projects to the cities. In the case of many projects, it represents significant assistance, without which they would never be completed.

What are the objectives?

The objective of BCC, is to contribute with a strategic role and resources in enhancing the competence, networking, job opportunities, and development of the regional film industry. Other objective of the Regional Film Fund is to promote cultural development, development of creativity, innovation and sustainability in the film industry. This region in 2016 contributes with over €13 million to the audiovisual industry.

The fund works through a wide array of funding measures covering production, distribution and sales. Projects will be prioritized on the basis of their cultural significance and connection to the Region, their contribution to the advancement of the film industry and their economic prospects. The aim is to encourage interest and exchange of information in these provinces about the films produced there.

Regions and cities involved

Three Countries Supported the Idea for a Regional Film Fund - Balkan Cities of Cinema (BCC).On December 15th, 2015 a meeting of Film Agencies and film professional community representatives from Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia took place in Bitola by invitation of the town’s Mayor Mr. Vladimir Taleski. Seven cities (Korcë, Blagoevgrad, Tirana, Varna, Sofia, Skopje and Bitola), from which two – Sofia and Bitola are among the seven cities of film, in the UNESCO program, creative cities network signed Memorandum of collaboration in the field of film production, distribution, fosterage of film audiences and the stimulation of local creative potential and industries and founded BCC. These are cities that already have an existing film infrastructure and experience in film making:

Cities with an excellent infrastructure and large-scale studios (Sofia)
Cities that given the beautiful locations they have nearby have constantfilming of national and international co-productions (Bitola, Plovdiv, Korca, Tirana)
Cities that will use the benefits of this platform to attract new investments and promote their resources and locations to attract filmmakers not only from the region but also from across Europe.
Cities like Sofia, Bitola, Tirana, which are known for their International film festivals and have been synonymous with quality and promotion of best films from Europe and around the world for years - Sofia IFF, ICFF Manaki Brothers, Tirana IFF.

Every year, the City makes a budgetary allocation for the co-funding of film productions which use local film-shooting locations and other resources. The number of applicants interested in receiving financial support for the production of full-length feature, documentary or animated films are planned to be growing from year to year. Detailed information on the upcoming editions will be published on our website and Facebook page a reasonable time in advance. The most essential aim of the competition is to ensure co-funding for projects of a high artistic value. However, the City is also ready to provide support for productions which are more focused on commercial success, especially those co-produced by world famous film studios or major film production companies, reserving itself the right to provide aid for such productions, too.

Photos from the signing of the Memorandum of Interest on December 15, 2015 with the directors of the Film Funds.

The future

The purpose of the BCC is not just to be shortlisted fund between few Balkan countries. Over the next few years, the fund will look at how it can promote more cross-border projects in the future through attracting other cities to join BCC.
In 2017 Balkan Cinema Cities will expand and begin with support for film co-productions between countries members of BCC, EUROMED and EUROEAST countries and EU countries. The applicants should have at least one co-producer from Macedonia, Albania or Bulgaria, and one from the EUROMED and EUROEAST countries.
We encourage co-productions with EU countries as well. More info to be publish soon.

Locations

Download the location guide

Welcome to our location guide. Balkan Cinema Cities provides locations in a wide variety of categories to meet the needs of the film industry. Our location library includes varied properties in the Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia. If you do not see what you need, please let us know so that we can assist you further. All of the above mentioned countries have great locations and landscapes. They are a gateway to everything you need - airports, churches, cities, contemporary, periods, factories, farms, fortresses, houses, lakes & rivers, landscapes, mansions, monasteries, mountains, ruins, sea, ports, villages, even areas that can be used to film desert scenes. All of which is easily accessible from the production bases at the cities-members of BCC: Sofia, Varna and Blagoevgrad (Bulgaria), Tirana, Korca and Kruja (Albania), Skopje and Bitola (Macedonia). Two – Sofia and Bitola are among the seven cities of film, in the UNESCO program, film creative cities network.

These are cities that already have an existing film infrastructure, experience in film making and also trained people who can operate heavy international productions:

Cities with an excellent infrastructure and large-scale studios (Sofia)
Cities that given the beautiful locations they have nearby have constant filming of national and international co-productions (Bitola, Korca, Tirana)
Cities that will use the benefits of this platform to attract new investments and promote their resources and locations to attract filmmakers not only from the region but also from across Europe.
Cities like Sofia, Bitola, Tirana, which are known for their International film festivals and have been synonymous with quality and promotion of best films from Europe and around the world for years - Sofia IFF, ICFF Manaki Brothers, Tirana IFF. More info to be publish soon.