Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.

Filming in Bosnia and Herzegovina

For an introduction to shooting in Bosnia and Herzegovina 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.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Film Locations 

Located in the Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mostly landlocked country, except for 26 kilometres of Adriatic Sea coastline. The interior of the country is mountainous, hilly in the northwest, and flat in the northeast. Bosnia is known for its Ottoman, Orthodox, and Soviet-era film locations. It is a beautiful country with many national parks, rivers, lakes, forests, waterfalls, bridges, and traditional villages.

Agricultural film locations include fields of corn, wheat, and barley. Bosnia and Herzegovina mines coal, iron ore, zinc, and bauxite. Energy locations include hydroelectric plants and coal fired power plants.

Films shot in Bosnia and Herzegovina include River Wild (2023), Quo vadis, Aida? (2020), Black Sun (2017-), and The Whistleblower (2010).

Sarajevo is the capital and largest city. The Whistleblower (2010) filmed in Sarajevo.

Government buildings include BiH Parliament Building, Presidency Building, Central Bank, Sarajevo City Hall, and University of Sarajevo.

Religious locations include Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, Ali Pasha’s Mosque, Sarajevo Synagogue, and Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral. Sarajevo is one of the few places on earth that you can find an old Orthodox church, Catholic church, mosque and a synagogue within walking distance of each other.

Baščaršija is an oriental bazaar in the heart of Sarajevo.

Museums of note include Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, War Childhood Museum, and Museum of Sarajevo.

Sarajevo’s 1984 Winter Olympic venues range from Jahorina mountain where downhill events were held, to bobsleigh track ruins just outside of Sarajevo. Other sporting venues in Sarajevo include Koševo City Stadium, Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic Hall, and Mirza Delibašić Hall.

Transport locations include Latin Bridge, Sarajevo Main Railway Station, and Sarajevo International Airport.

Ottoman-era structures include Old Sarajevo Clock Tower, and Sebilj Wooden Fountain.

BHRT building is a Brutalist building.

Avaz Twist Tower is a modern building.

The White Fortress overlooks Sarajevo.

Mostar Stari Most (Old Bridge) is an elegant Ottoman bridge which attracts divers from all over the world looking to take the 22 metre plunge. Quo vadis, Aida? (2020) filmed in Mostar.

Near Mostar, you can find Blagaj Tekke (Dervish House), a historic monastery located next to a picturesque cliff and waterfall.

Jajce is an interesting historic town known for its waterfall, watermills, and fortress.

Beautiful waterfall film locations include Kravice waterfall, Pliva waterfall, Koćuša waterfall, and Štrbački buk waterfall featured in River Wild (2023).

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad is a fine example of Ottoman architecture.

The Hercegovačka Gračanica monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Trebinje. Black Sun (2017-) filmed in Trebinje.

Banja Luka is known for Kastel Fortress and Ferhadija Mosque. Black Sun (2017-) filmed in Banja Luka.

Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center commemorates the Srebrenica Genocide.

Sutjeska National Park is one of the last primeval forests in Europe.

Kozara National Park is know for its dense forest and hilly meadows.

Bandit Gate is a natural rock formation in Blidinje Nature Park.

Brutalist Soviet-era architecture of note includes Kozara Memorial Monument, Tjentiste War Memorial, Partisan Memorial Cemetery, Grmeč Monument to the Revolution, and Zeljava Airbase ruins.

Ostrožac Castle is a great haunted location.

Bosnia Hezegovina Film Location Permits 

No extraordinary restrictions or rules apply. Permitting in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a straightforward process. Please contact us for location specific information.

When To Shoot?

Bosnia has a moderate continental climate. The smaller Herzegovina in the southern tip of the country has a Mediterranean climate. Winter (December to March) are cold and snowy, especially at higher elevations. Spring (April to May) has green fields and wildflowers in full bloom. Summer (June to September) is hot with long daylight hours. Fall (October to November) sees leaves changing colour. For monthly weather statistics please see here. 

Events of interest to filmmakers and photographers include:

• Sarajevo Winter Festival in February.
• Bascarsija Nights in July.
• Sarajevo Film Festival in August.
• Jazzfest Sarajevo in November.

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is a majority Muslim country services remain open during Ramadan. There is also a large community of Orthodox and Catholic Christians.

Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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. Locations, local talent and support crew are inexpensive but since little to no filming infrastructure exists all key crew and equipment must be brought in from abroad. Our Bosnian / Herzegovinian fixer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget.

Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign commercials or films shooting in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Film Crew & Talent

Crews. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a small local pool of directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Key crew should be brought in from abroad. Serbia and Croatia are the closest established production service centres to bring in crew by land. Additional specialist crews can be easily brought in from nearby major European production centres such as Berlin and London.

Contact us if you are looking for a 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Talent day rates and buyouts are negotiable. Casting facilities are undeveloped in Bosnia and Herzegovina so street casting is often required.

Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian are widely spoken.

Bosnia and Herzegovina offers mainly Bosniak, Serb and Croat looks. Small communities of Jews and Roma also exist. All other talent looks need to be brought in from abroad. The country’s close proximity to major European production centres allows you easy access to those pools of talent should you ever need to look further.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Film Equipment

Equipment. Only the most basic camera, lighting and grip equipment is available locally. Best to bring in equipment from abroad. For productions looking to bring in film equipment Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 are basic.

Studios and Backlots. None exist at present.

Post Production. Post abroad.

Visas & Work Permits

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a Schengen Area member state. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Passport holders of the below countries coloured blue are not required to have a visa to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina for stays of up to 90 days. Contact your local Bosnian embassy or representative for more information.

Transport & Accommodation

Transportation Infrastructure. Main roads are in a fair condition. Rural roads are slower going. Several international airlines service flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Accommodation. Recommended film friendly hotels in Sarajevo include:

City Boutique Hotel
Hotel Central

Please contact us for corporate rates.

For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.

Final Notes

Safety. See here for up to date travel advice.

Down Time. Try some traditional Bosniak dishes such as cevapi, burek, begova corba, and klepe.

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 Bosnia and Herzegovina, please see below:

Hire Bosnia and Herzegovina Production Support & Shooting Crew

If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Bosnia and Herzegovina, please contact us.

If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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.