Montenegro 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 Montenegro? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in Montenegro
For an introduction to shooting in Montenegro 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.
Montenegro Film Locations
Montenegro is a Balkan nation located on the Adriatic Sea. The country offers unique, beautiful and undiscovered locations. Film locations include rugged mountains, canyons, national parks, vineyards, beaches, azure seas, snowy peaks, forests, glacial lakes, rivers, waterfalls, cobblestone streets, monasteries, churches, mosques, fortresses, castles and palaces. Montenegro’s rich architectural heritage has influences as diverse as Roman, Ottoman, Venetian, Brutalist, and Baroque. Montenegro is an ideal location for car commercials with narrow, winding mountain roads and dozens of tunnels. Being a small country, locations are a relatively short drive from each other.
Tourism is the economic mainstay. Agricultural film locations include vineyards, as well as wheat, barley, and corn fields. Sheep and cattle roam mountain landscapes. Industrial locations include bauxite mines, and steel mills. Energy locations include hydroelectric, coal-fired, and wind powered plants.
Montenegro has hosted productions such as Papillon (2017), The November Man (2014), Coriolanus (2011), and The Brothers Bloom (2008).
Montenegro’s film locations can be divided into the following regions:
Coastal Region
The Coastal Region includes the municipalities of Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat, Budva, Bar, and Ulcinj.
The Bay of Kotor is home to several film locations of note.
The old Medieval city of Kotor is one of the best preserved medieval towns in the Adriatic. Locations of note include the Old City, Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, Church of Saint Nicholas, Kotor bazaar, and Castle Of San Giovanni.
Perast is a city famous for its Baroque architecture.
Off the coast of Perast you can find the picturesque islets of Our Lady of the Rocks, and Sveti Đorđe Island.
Herceg Novi is known for Old Town, Savina Monastery, Kanli Kula Fortress, Sea Fortress, and Tito’s Villa Galeb.
Porto Montenegro in the town of Tivat has a harbour for luxury superyachts. Near Tivat you can find the Island of Flowers, Our Lady of Mercy Island, and Sveti Marko Island.
Mamula Island hosts a luxury resort that was once a concentration camp.
Fortress Arza is a remote coastal location.
Heading south, Budva is the main seaside tourist town and a popular place to base crew when shooting coastal looks in Montenegro. Budva locations of note include the Old Town, Mogren beach, Jaz beach, Becici beach, and Kamenovo beach.
Nearby Sveti Stefan is a picturesque Medieval island.
Sveti Nikola Island is a beautiful film location with white sands and turquoise seas.
Further south along the coast, Bar is an ancient port city known for its Stari Bar, King Nikola’s Palace, Selimia Mosque, and Stara Maslina which is one of the world’s oldest olive trees.
Furthest south, Ulcinj is one of the oldest towns on the Adriatic coast. Locations of note include Long Beach, Lake Šas, Ada Bojana Island, and Ulcinj Castle.
Central Region
The Central Region includes the municipalities of Podgorica, Nikšić, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, and Tuzi.
Podgorica is the capital and largest city where most crew and equipment are based. The city offers a mixture of architectural styles ranging from Ottoman Empire Turkish, Eastern bloc Brutalist, to newly built contemporary glass-and-steel structures. Locations of note include the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, the brutalist Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus, Independence Square, Clock Tower, Old Ribnica River Bridge, and Millennium Bridge.
Doclea is an ancient Greek and Roman archaeological site.
Vodopad Nijagara is a beautiful waterfall.
Skadar Lake is the largest lake in Southern Europe. Vranjina is a picturesque village and Grmožur is a fortified islet on the lake.
Located at the foot of Mount Lovćen, Cetinje is the Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. The city is known for Cetinje Royal Palace, and Cetinje Monastery.
Nikšić is the second largest city in Montenegro.
Ostrog Monastery is an Orthodox church built into the side of a mountain cliff.
Moračica Bridge is an impressive bridge over a rocky canyon.
Niksic steel mill is located in this region.
Northern Region
The Northern Region includes the municipalities of Plužine, Šavnik, Žabljak, Pljevlja, Kolašin, Mojkovac, Bijelo Polje, Andrijevica, Berane, Petnjica, Gusinje, Plav, and Rožaje.
Biogradska Gora National Park offers untouched forest, towering mountains, glacial lakes, rushing rivers, green picturesque pastures, and traditional villages.
The town of Plav is the gateway to Prokletije National Park.
Žabljak sits at the foot of Mount Durmitor. Black Lake is a glacial lake located in Durmitor National Park.
Trnovačko Lake is a spectacular mountain lake.
Piva Canyon is another beautiful film location.
Đurđevića Tara Bridge is an impressive concrete arch bridge built over the Tara River.
Pljevlja Power Station is a coal-fired power station.
Mratinje Dam is located in this region.
Montenegro Film Location Permits
No extraordinary restrictions or rules apply. Permitting in Montenegro is a very straightforward process. There are no state fees for shooting and most permits usually take no more than 2 days. Please contact us for more location specific information.
When To Shoot?
Montenegro has a transitional climate from Mediterranean to continental. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are mild on the coast and snowy in the mountains. April through to September is the best time to film for long, sunny shoot days. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Traditional Montenegrin festivals of note include the Kotor Carnival in February and Gornja Lastva Fiesta in August.
Montenegro is a predominately Eastern Orthodox Christian country, so those holidays are observed. There is also a large Muslim population.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Montenegro.
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. Montenegro trades in the Euro, even though it is not an EU member state. Average costs are lower than in the Eurozone. 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. Montenegro charges a 19% VAT. Crews are typically brought in from nearby Serbia which is also cost efficient. Our Montenegrin fixer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget.
Tax Incentives. Montenegro offers a cash rebate of 25% for international or co-produced feature films, documentaries and animations, as well as TV films and series that meet the minimum local spend. Projects will undergo a cultural test and must make use of Montenegro’s crew, talent and production capabilities.
Film Crew & Talent
Crew. Montenegro has a small pool of local directors, videographers and stills photographers. Some supporting crews are available locally. Rates and hours of work are negotiable and always flexible to budgetary requirements. Experienced, English speaking key crew can easily be brought in from Serbia. Specialist technical and creative crew can be brought in from nearby major European production centres.
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 Montenegro.
Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Day rates are very reasonable and negotiated on a personal basis.
Montenegrin is the official language. Other Balkan
Montenegrins are the main ethnic group. There is also a large Serbian community. Smaller minorities include Bosniak, Albanians, and other Balkan looks. Montenegro’s close proximity to major European production centres allows you easy access to those pools of talent should you ever need to look further.
Montenegro Film Equipment
Equipment. Montenegro has a small pool of camera, grip and lighting equipment available locally. Additional equipment can be easily brought in from nearby Serbia and more specialist equipment such as helicopters with camera heads are best brought in from Italy or other major European production centres. For productions looking to bring in film equipment Montenegro 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. We post abroad.
Visas & Work Permits
Montenegro is not a member of the Schengen Area. Visiting crews entering on Western passports can enter visa-free for periods of up to 90 days. Work permits are not required to film in Montenegro.
Transport & Accommodation
Transportation Infrastructure. Main roads are well maintained. Roads in rural and mountain areas are slower going. Several international airlines service flights to Montenegro.
Accommodation. Recommended film friendly hotels in Montenegro include:
Zabljak (for mountains):
Polar Star
Hotel Soa
Budva (for coastal):
Splendid
Hotel Aman Sveti Stefan
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 of the local cuisine including brav u mlijeku, buzara, kačamak, raštan, and rakija.
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 Montenegro, please see below:
Hire Montenegro Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Montenegro, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Montenegro, 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.
