Bulgaria has long had an excellent reputation among international production companies. Many have filmed here, and even when they haven’t personally, their partner companies have. That creates trust – people know Bulgaria delivers. And Bulgaria is home to some of the most impressive studio shoots in Europe.
So why is it so good? To begin with, the studios are top-notch. The soundstages are proper soundstages – safe, reliable and built to industry standards. In some countries stages are older or converted warehouses, but in Bulgaria the facilities are solid and fully equipped, with proper channels and reliable infrastructure, and they let you do a clean white-down on schedule. Everything is designed for an efficient, professional workflow.
Bulgaria is also home to the largest pool studio in the Balkans – a spacious hall built around a 20-metre-wide, deep-water tank for high-end underwater and surface scenes. It offers room for set construction, elevated rigging and full cinematic lighting, making it ideal for feature films, commercials and stunt work. Read more in our piece on soundstages in the Balkans.
The studios are well equipped, properly soundproofed and built to high technical standards, with quality insulation, wiring, ventilation and all the infrastructure needed to support productions of any size safely and smoothly.
Then there’s the art department, which is incredibly strong. Thanks to the boom of American films shot here in the ’90s and the development that followed, the whole industry grew rapidly. Those American productions and their sets were built by Bulgarian crews – and these crews are phenomenal.
It’s also extremely rare to run out of art department professionals. There is a large pool of skilled specialists, many freelance and available at great rates. Some construction builds we complete here would easily cost four times more in the UK. Bulgaria has no unions, which makes rates more flexible; in countries with unions, contracts, stricter working hours and higher insurance push prices up, and something that takes three days here could take six there – doubling the cost of the build. Materials are also reasonably priced, which further optimises the budget.
Another advantage is how close the soundstages are to the city – some are even inside Sofia – which saves time and money. Serbia offers something similar, but Bulgaria remains highly competitive on quality and accessibility. Sofia has a large number of stages, so it’s almost always possible to find one available. Compared to London, where American productions book studios months in advance, Bulgaria offers far more flexibility.
Ultimately, Bulgaria’s strength lies in its combination of skilled crews, reliable infrastructure and flexible working conditions. Productions move fast, stay efficient and achieve high-quality results without unnecessary barriers or inflated costs. Film Fixers Balkans books stages, builds and crews in Sofia for commercials, music videos, TV and film.
This article was first published on LBB Online on 24 November 2025. Learn more about our work across 19 countries at filmfixersbalkans.com.
