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

Filming in Moldova

For an introduction to shooting in Moldova 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.

Moldova Film Locations

Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe known for its Soviet-era architecture, monasteries, fortresses, trapped-in-time villages, forests, and rivers. Rarely visited, its locations remain undiscovered by global filmmakers.

Agricultural film locations including wheat, corn, barley, apple, and sunflower fields, as well as its world-renowned vineyards. Industrial locations are focused more on food processing.

Film locations can be divided into districts, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Districts include: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Călărași, Căușeni, Cimișlia, Criuleni, Dondușeni, Drochia, Dubăsari, Edineț, Fălești, Florești, Glodeni, Hîncești, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnița, Orhei, Rezina, Rîșcani, Sîngerei, Soroca, Strășeni, Șoldănești, Ștefan Vodă, Taraclia, Telenești, and Ungheni. Municipalities include: Chișinău, Bălți, and Bender. Autonomous territories include: Gagauzia, and Transnistria.

Chișinău is the capital and the largest city. Film locations of note include the Soviet-era abandoned Chișinău State Circus, Nativity Cathedral, National Museum of History of Moldova, National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History, Chișinău City Hall, triumphal arch, Stephen the Great Central Park, and Kishinev Jewish Cemetery which has thousands of overgrown headstones.

Outside of Chișinău, Mileștii Mici has the world’s largest wine collection. Home to over 2 million wine bottles, the underground limestone cellars extend for 200 kilometres (120 mi).

Monasteries of note include Manastirea Curchi, Căpriana, Saharna, Hâncu, Ciuflea, Condrița, Călărășeuca, Hîrjauca, Rudi, and Tipova.

Old Orhei is an archaeological complex located in Trebujeni.

Manuc Bey Mansion is located in Hincești.

Mimi Castle has a winery.

Soroca Fortress is another film location of note. The town of Soroca has a large Roma community, the wealthier of who live in flamboyant mansions.

Gagauzia, home to the Turkic-speaking Gagauz people, is an autonomous territory in southwest Moldova.

Transnistria is an autonomous Russian-speaking region in eastern Moldova. The de-facto capital Tiraspol is known for its Soviet architecture. Statues of Lenin stand in front of Tiraspol City Hall and the Transnistria government building. The Church of the Nativity and Orthodox Chapel in the Transnistrian War Memorial are two religious locations of interest.

Outside of Tiraspol, Bendary Fortress, built by the Ottomans, is another film location of note.

Moldova Film Location Permits

No extraordinary restrictions or rules apply. Permitting in Moldova is a very straightforward process requiring only 48 hours for most locations. Shutting streets in Chisinau can take up to one week. Please contact us for more location specific information.

When To Shoot?

Moldova’s climate is moderately continental. The summers are warm and long and the winters are relatively mild and dry. The heaviest rainfall occurs in early summer and again in autumn. May through to August is the best time to shoot for warm, sunny weather. For monthly weather statistics please see here.

The National Wine Festival takes place in October.

Moldova is a predominately Eastern Orthodox Christian country, so those holidays are observed.

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

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. Local costs are inexpensive but since little to no filming infrastructure exists all crew and equipment must be brought in from abroad which can add significantly to the cost of shooting. Our Moldovan 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 feature films or commercials in Moldova.

Film Crew & Talent

Crews. Moldova has a very small pool of local directors, videographers and stills photographers. Moldova also lacks a depth of experienced local key crew. Romania is the closest production centre to source experienced crews that speak both the local language, which is Romanian, as well as English. Moldova’s close proximity to major European production centres allows easy access to additional crew should you ever need to look further.

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 Moldova.

Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Day rates are very reasonable and negotiated on a case by case basis.

Romanian is the official language.

Moldovans are the main ethnic group. Minorities include Romanian, Ukrainian, Gagauz, Russian, Bulgarian, and Roma people. The country’s close proximity to major European production centres means it’s easy to cast abroad.

Moldova Film Equipment

Equipment. Some basic camera, grip and lighting equipment available locally. Romania is the closest major production centre for more equipment. Bucharest is a 6 hour drive from Chisinau. For productions looking to bring in film equipment Moldova 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 options are limited beyond local looks.

Studios. Dedicated facilities do not exist.

Post Production. Best to post abroad.

Visas & Work Permits

Moldova is not member of the Schengen Area. Visiting crews travelling on Western passports can enter Moldova visa-free for stays of up to 90 days. There are no specific work permits required to film in Moldova.

Transport & Accommodation

Transportation Infrastructure. Roads outside of Chisinau are generally in a poor condition. Moldova is serviced by several international and regional airlines. If running the project through Romania, it’s most likely Bucharest will be the entry point.

Accommodation. Recommended film friendly hotels in Chisinau include:

Hotel VisPas
Budapest Hotel
Flowers Hotel

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.

Final Notes. Oenophiles must sample the local wine. Moldova is famous for having some of the world’s best wines.

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 Moldova, please see below:

Hire Moldova Production Support & Shooting Crew

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

If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Moldova, 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.