Lithuania Film & Photography Production Services & Camera Crews
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in Lithuania? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in Lithuania
For an introduction to shooting in Lithuania see below notes on film locations, permits, when to shoot, unique local stories, costs, tax incentives, crews, talent, equipment, communications, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation, and safety advice.
Lithuania Film Locations
Located on the Baltic coast, Lithuania is known for its castles, manor homes, museums, lakes and forests, seaside and beaches, winding car commercial roads, industrial estates, modern and Soviet-era architecture.
Agricultural film locations include fields of wheat, barley, and dairy cattle. Industrial locations include petroleum refining facilities as well as factories that produce chemicals, machinery, automobiles, and furniture. The country mines gypsum, limestone, peat, iron ore, and amber. Energy locations include hydroelectric dams and thermal power plants. There is also a decommissioned nuclear power plant available for filming.
Lithuania is a small country so most film locations are a short drive from each other.
Productions hosted include Chernobyl (2019), Catherine the Great (2019), The Last Czars (2019), War and Peace (2016), The Eichmann Show (2015), Anna Karenina (2013), Transsiberian (2008), Defiance (2008), Hannibal Rising (2007), The Amazing Race 12 (2007), and Elizabeth I (2005).
Film locations can be divided into the following counties:
Vilnius
Vilnius County, located in the east of the country, is the largest county.
Vilnius is the capital and main film production centre. The city is small so it’s easy for visiting productions to move between locations. Vilnius is known for its well preserved Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Specific locations of note include the beautiful Cathedral Square, Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, St. Anne’s Church, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Saint Catherine’s Church, Vilnius University, Gediminas Castle Tower, Gate of Dawn, Vilnius TV Tower, Palace of Concerts and Sports, and Bernardine Garden. Vilnius is also known for its museums including the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, Museum of Genocide Victims, National Museum, Vilnius Museum of Illusions, MO Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind, and Nacionalinė Dailės Galerija. The Republic of Užupis is a bohemian neighbourhood in Vilnius.
Trakai Island Castle is a castle located on an island in Lake Galvė, in Trakai National Park.
Liepkalnis is a ski resort on the outskirts of Vilnius.
Alytus
Alytus is the southernmost county.
Grūtas Park is a sculpture garden of Soviet-era statues.
Dzūkija National Park is known for its pine forests, marshes, and the Nemunas River.
Snow Arena Druskininkai is an indoor year-round ski slope and terrain park.
Kaunas
Kaunas County is located in the centre of the country.
The former capital, Kaunas is a city known for museums, galleries, palaces, and parks. Locations of note include Kaunas Castle, Pažaislis Monastery, Kaunas Fortress, Town Hall Square, Monument to the Victims of Fascism, and Vytautas the Great War Museum. The Devil’s Museum houses a vast collection of art work that depict images of the devil.
Kėdainiai Old Town is known for its Baroque architecture.
Rumšiškės is an open-air museum town depicting a 1700’s market square, church and inn.
Klaipėda
Klaipėda county is located in the west, on the Baltic Sea.
Curonian Spit National Park (Kuršių Nerija National Park) located on the Baltic coast is known for its sand dunes and beaches.
The Hill of Witches is an outdoor sculpture gallery located near Juodkrantė.
Marijampolė
Marijampolė county is located in the south of the country.
The county is known for its stately homes such as Zypliai Manor, Gelgaudiškis Manor, and Paežeriai Manor.
Panevėžys
Panevėžys county is located in the north-east of the country.
Biržai Regional Park and Krekenava Regional Park are located in this county.
Šiauliai
Šiauliai county is located in the north of the country.
The Hill of Crosses, near the city of Šiauliai is a unique film location.
Tauragė
Tauragė county is located in the west of the country.
Panemunė Castle and Raudonė Castle are located in this area.
Telšiai
Telšiai county is located in the west of the country.
Žemaitija National Park is known for its hilly landscape, many lakes, and forests.
The Cold War Museum in Plokščiai includes a Soviet-era nuclear missile silo.
Utena
Utena is a sparsely populated county located in the east of the country.
The decommissioned Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant featured in the HBO series Chernobyl (2019).
Known for its biodiversity, Aukštaitija National Park has many lakes, islands, rivers, streams, swamps, and forests of pine and spruce. The park is also known for its traditional villages, Palūšė wooden church, and Ginučiai watermill.
Molėtai Astronomical Observatory is located in Kulionys.
Lithuania Film Location Permits
Lithuania is a very film friendly country. For small footprint shoots such as b-roll, city permits are not required. Larger shoots requiring exclusive use of public space require permits from relevant authorities but generally don’t take much longer than a week to process. Please contact us for location specific information.
When To Shoot?
Lithuania has a typical four-season climate with white winters (December to March), spring in full bloom (April to May), warm summers (June to September), and colourful leaves in fall (October to November). Spring through to fall are the best months to film for weather. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Lithuania plays host to music events throughout the summer.
• Trakai medieval festival takes place in Trakai Island Castle in June
• Klaipėda Sea Festival takes place in July / August
Lithuania is a predominately Christian country, so those holidays are observed.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Lithuania.
Unique Local Stories
Brands are looking for local stories that match their brand narrative. Our local teams are a great lead for sourcing those unique stories and characters.
If you are looking for stories for your next shoot, send us your brief and we will pitch you ideas.
If you have a unique story you would like to pitch to a brand anywhere in the world, pitch us your idea. We have well-established processes to ensure that your ideas are properly seen and protected.
Costs & Tax Incentives
Costs. Lithuania trades in the Euro. Depending on your shoot, more specialised crew and equipment may need to be brought in. Generally speaking, even with that factored in, Lithuania is still one of the least expensive places to film in Europe. On average it is less expensive than neighbouring Latvia and Estonia. Our Lithuanian fixer / service producer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget. See here for the current VAT rate.
Tax Incentives. Lithuania offers qualifying productions a 30% rebate. For more information visit the Lithuanian Film Centre.
Film Crew & Talent
Crews. Lithuania has a small pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Lithuanian crews are known to be efficient, hard working and flexible with day rates and working hours. Department heads all speak fluent English. Crews are often sourced from other Baltic countries giving the region a depth of 5-6 good crews. Bringing in specialist crew is recommended for more complicated jobs. Lithuania’s close proximity to major European production centres allows easy access to those technical and creative crews.
Contact us if you are looking for a Vilnius based director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot in Lithuania.
Talent is non-union. Day rates and buyouts are negotiable.
Lithuanian is the official language.
Lithuanians are the majority ethnic group. There are also small minorities from other surrounding Slavic countries. Other talent looks need to be cast abroad. Lithuania’s close proximity to major European production centres allows easy access to those pools of talent should you ever need to look further.
Lithuania Film Equipment
Equipment. Lithuania has standard lighting, grip and camera packages including REDs and Alexas. Nearby Latvia, Finland and Germany are the closest countries to bring in more specialized equipment. For productions looking to bring in film equipment Lithuania is an ATA carnet country.
Communications. Communication is key. Our agility and global experience allows us to customise the right communications systems for every shoot.
Web posted casting, scouting, and videoconferencing.
For clients that are unable to attend set we offer a virtual video village solution. This dedicated and secure high-resolution video streaming platform allows clients from one or multiple timezones to view setups without compromise and to participate in real-time with the team on set. Separate systems can be set up for the discrete conversations that are required to make a job run right. Working remotely with our local teams reduces your content production costs, turnaround times, carbon footprint, and risks associated with unpredictable global events.
Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production
Art department and set construction in the Baltic region is of an international standard. Builds are very cost competitive and one of the major reasons to film in this part of the world. There are at least 4 very good art department teams. Of the Baltic states Lithuania is traditionally the busiest with films whilst Latvia services commercials and Estonia shoots the least of both.
Studios. Lithuanian Film Studios offer good services including a sound stage, the best green screen in the Baltics, and specialist high-speed table-top shoot facilities.
Post Production. Lithuania has some basic post facilities. If you are shooting on film the closest places to process are Helsinki or Berlin.
Visas & Work Permits
Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Area. Only certain countries need visas and there is no need for work permits. Visiting US film crews can enter visa-free for a period of up to 90 days. Contact your local Lithuanian embassy / representative for more information.
Transport & Accommodation
Transportation Infrastructure. Lithuania is a small country with a good network of well maintained roads, so most locations are quick and easy to reach. Lithuania is well serviced by several international and regional budget airlines.
Accommodation. Contact us for recommended film friendly hotels in Vilnius. For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Final Notes
Safety. Lithuania is a very safe and reliable filming centre. See here for up to date travel advice.
Down Time. Visit Vilnius’s UNESCO World Heritage Old Town.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Lithuania, please see below:
Hire Lithuania Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Lithuania, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Lithuania, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
