MediaPro Pictures

MediaPro Studios & MediaPro Pictures

MediaPro Studios is the largest complex of film studios in Romania and one of the most important in Central and Eastern Europe. The complex is commonly known as the “Buftea Studios” because it is located in the town of Buftea, some 20 kilometers north-west of Bucharest. Since they were founded (in the 1950s), the studios have seen over 600 films shot, processed and/or serviced here – both Romanian and international productions.

Today the facility is privately owned, being a part of the MediaPro – the number one media consortium in Romania. MediaPro Studios is home to MediaPro Pictures, the largest production company of its kind in Romania, with activities ranging from film and commercials production to events.

The beginnings

In the wake of the “people’s democracy”, the newly installed regime was quick to realize the propaganda potential of feature films. Thus, in 1950 construction began at what would later be called – using a terminology typical for that era – Centrul de Producţie Cinematografică Buftea (The Buftea Film Production Center). Like any other business in a communist country, the studios were owned by the State and controlled by the Communist Party.

Apart from the obvious intention to produce films that would serve the Party’s ideology, it is said that the birth of the studios had also a lot to do with the fact that Lica Gheorghiu, the daughter of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (the general secretary of the Party at the time), was flirting with the idea of becoming a movie star.

Although the studios were not fully finished until 1959, shooting was already being done in the mid and late 1950s. At the time of its completion the Buftea Studios had four stages, one set for mixed indoor-outdoor shootings, and a film processing lab. A single stage could store 30 limousines – as it did during a shooting for S-a furat o bombă ( “A Bomb Was Stolen”) – or could reproduce the Scala Opera Hall in Milan used in the film Darcleé. Under the floor of the mixed indoor-outdoor set there was a water tank with crystal walls for underwater shootings.

Film production during the communist regime

From 1959 until 1989 the studios produced around twenty films per year, but more than 80% of them were propagandistic. Even so, the Buftea productions did have their share of international acclaim: Scurtă istorie (“A Short History”) directed by Ion Popescu-Gopo won the Palm d’Or at Cannes in 1957; Liviu Ciulei, who directed Pădurea spânzuraţilor (“Forest of the Hanged”), won the prize for Best Director at Cannes, in 1965; Mircea Mureşan, the director of Răscoala (“Blazing Winter”), won Best First Work prize at Cannes in 1966; Cântecele Renaşterii (“Rennaissance Songs”), a documentary about the Madrigal Choir directed by Mirel Ilieşiu, won the Palm d’Or at Cannes in 1969. Their successes stand out even more if we think of the censorship they had to deal with back then.

Some of the most famous Romanian directors made their debut at the Buftea Studios: Iulian Mihu and Manole Marcus – Viaţa nu iartă (“Life Doesn’t Spare”), in 1959; Dan Piţa – Nunta de piatră (“The Stone Wedding”), in 1972; Mircea Veroiu – Duhul aurului (“Gold Fever”), in 1974; Mircea Daneliuc – Cursa (“Long Drive”), all in 1975.

Due to the technical conditions provided by the Romanian studios, a lot of international co-productions were shot here before 1990, despite the ideological differences between Romania and other countries. Ciulinii Bărăganului (“Baragan Thistles”), directed by L. Daquin, Codin (“Codine”) and Steaua fără nume (“Nameless Star”), both directed by Henri Colpi, Serbările galante (“The Lace Wars”), directed by René Clair, Dacii (“Les Guerriers”), directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu or Columna (“The Column”), directed by Mircea Drăgan, are only a few examples.

The transition to the market economy

After the fall of the communist regime (the Romanian Revolution of 1989) the studios suffered heavily from lack of funding. The film production dramatically diminished and the number of theaters that stayed open was in free fall. However, Romanian film directors began to make their voice heard in international festivals: Dan Piţa was awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1992 (for Hotel de lux – Luxury Hotel) and Lucian Pintilie was awarded the Jury’s Special Award at the same festival in 1998 (for Terminus Paradis).

Like the entire Romanian economy, the Buftea Studios entered a recession period. The government had other priorities than funding the film industry. At the same time, the management of the studios – that remained State-owned – had difficulties in adapting to the new economic realities. Thus, the late 1990s found the Buftea Studios on the verge of bankruptcy.

A new beginning

In 1998 the studios were purchased at a public auction by MediaPro – the largest Romanian media company, owned by Adrian Sarbu. It took more than a year of intensive renovation to bring back to life all the production facilities. Nowadays MediaPro Studios have 16 stages, the largest water tank in Eastern Europe, an impressive backlot (including a lake), more than 30,000 costumes from all historical periods, and exterior sets from the 16th to 18th century.

The first important production after 1998 was in 2000. Costa Gavras’ Amen established the reputation of MediaPro Studios and opened the way for more than 50 international productions. In the following years prestigious international filmmakers such as Franco Zeffirelli, Jeremy Irons, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland, Andy Garcia, Dennis Hopper, Fanny Ardant, Robert Carlyle, Dolph Lundgren or Bob Hoskins set foot in the studios and contributed to international productions, features, and high and TV dramas. Joyeux Noel (“Merry Christmas”), French nominee at Academy Awards and Golden Globes, Sex Traffic, which won 9 BAFTAs, The Cave, a very demanding Sci-Fi horror or An American Haunting are just some of the titles shot in the studios.

MediaPro Pictures is also one of the most intensive promoters and producers of original features, contributing decisively to the revival of Romanian cinema. In the autumn of 2006 three new titles entered in the theaters: Margo, directed by Ioan Cărmăzan, Lacrimi de iubire (“Tears of Love”) – the first Romanian spin-off –, and Trei fraţi de belea (“Three Loony Brothers”) – from the authors of the number one film in local box-office after 1990, Garcea şi oltenii (“Garcea, the Most Stupid Policeman on Earth”).

In recent years, MediaPro Studios has diversified its range of services. One of the market segments in which the studios have had an increasing contribution is television. Working with the TV stations co-owned by Adrian Sarbu and Central European Media (Pro TV – leading tv station in Romania and Acasă), MediaPro Studios and its sister company, MediaPro Pictures, have made television history in Romania by producing the first local sitcom (“Neighbors Forever”, 2002 – in 2006, it had reached its 10th season and was still running, which was an unprecedented record in Romanian television), as well as the first local soap opera (“Only Love”, 2004).

The productions portfolio includes many other soap operas and sitcoms, a police series, and dozens of high and TV dramas. With an estimated 1000 hours of fiction produced for television in 2006, MediaPro Studios is definitely leaving its mark on Romanian television.

The studios are also a preferred location for shooting television commercials and have made a name for themselves in the industry of events.

Notable films

1950s - La Moara cu noroc (1956) - Citadela sfarâmată (1957) - Două lozuri (1957) - Ciulinii Bărăganului (1957) - Alo?... Aţi greşit numărul! (1958) - Viaţa nu iartă (1959) - Telegrame (1959) - Valurile Dunării (1959)

1960s - Darclée (1960) - Setea (1960) - Codine (1962) - Tudor (1962) - Pădurea spânzuraţilor (1964) - Titanic vals (1964) - Duminică la ora şase (1965) - Răscoala (1965) - Les fêtes galantes (1965) - Mona, l’étoile sans nom (1966) - Dacii (1966) - Dimineţile unui băiat cuminte (1966) - Sept gars et une garce (1966) - Kampf um Rom II – Der Verrat (1968) - Columna (1968) - Reconstituirea (1969)

1970s - Mihai Viteazul (1970) - Felix şi Otilia (1972) - Cu mâinile curate (1972) - Astă-seară dansăm în familie (1972) - Ştefan cel Mare, Vaslui 1475 (1974) - Dincolo de pod (1975) - Mere roşii (1976) - Operaţiunea „Monstrul” (1976) - Profetul, aurul şi ardelenii (1978) - Ion, blestemul pământului, blestemul iubirii (1979)

1980s - Pruncul, petrolul şi ardelenii (1981) - Secvenţe (1982) - Concurs (1982) - Faleze de nisip (1982) - De ce trag clopotele, Mitică? (1982) - Buletin de Bucureşti (1982) - Pas în doi (1985) - Glissando (1985) - Vară sentimentală (1985) - Moromeţii (1988) - Noiembrie, ultimul bal (1989) - Balanţa

1990s - Rămânerea (1992) - Hotel de lux (1992) - Patul conjugal (1993) - Asfalt tango (1993) - O vară de neuitat (1994) - Terminus paradis (1998)

2000s - Callas Forever (2001) - Amen (2002) - Furia (2002) - Second Hand (2002) - Filantropica (2002) - Gunpowder, Treason and Plot (2003) - Sex Traffic (TV, 2004) - The Last Drop (2004) - Modigliani (2004) - The Cave (2004) - Blood and Chocolate (2005) - Joyeux Noël (2005) - An American Haunting (2006) - California Dreaming (2006)

Link to the official website