“Filmmaking has been in the blood of Hungarians since the silent film era and we were also there at the birth of Hollywood,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who believes that the state has a responsibility in the current state of the Hungarian screen sector and in the development of the film industry.
Film production in Hungary played a major role in the international film industry, with a tradition spanning over 124 years. The industry’s annual volume has recently approached 1 billion USD, an amount that has increased fivefold since 2018, mainly as a result of continuous developments in the film sector.
“The last state investment of a similar scale in the Hungarian film industry was in 1936, when one of the largest studios in Central Europe was established - just as the NFI Studios in Fót are today. The significance of this expansion, and the four years leading up to its completion, will be appreciated by future generations of filmmakers. In addition to ensuring the competitiveness of the industry, the new studios will also open bright new chapters in global filmmaking,” pointed out Csaba Kael, Government Commissioner for the development of the Hungarian motion picture industry.
NFI Studios, the major facility of Hungary’s film industry since the 1980s, was expanded with four new soundstages, totaling 10,000 sqm of new studio space, 20,000 sqm of auxiliary facilities, and 135,000 sqm of green areas.
Increasing the capacity of the Fót base fivefold, an important quality feature of the NFI Studios development is that two of the four new stages can be connected using an innovative mobile soundproof wall, creating a 5,000 sqm space in one unit. This allows the studio to meet the needs of large-scale productions simultaneously.
“Recently, Hungary faced a significant shortage in certified soundstage studio capacity. There were multiple instances where Hungarian producers were unable to meet demand because the available studios had later booking dates. As a result of the completed developments, two new studios have now been added to the previous two major options in Hungary, doubling the opportunities. The expansion allows NFI Studios to attract and host large-scale productions while still providing world-class facilities for high-end TV and film projects. The new soundstages are designed to be flexible enough to accommodate various types of productions and are in proximity to the backlot sets and support facilities like props and transportation,” summarized Ildiko Kovacs, head of NFI Studios.
The studio complex, covering a total area of more than 30 hectares, is a unique location with outstanding features. In addition to its easily transformable outdoor sets for medieval and 19th century European cities, as well as its extensive collection of weapons, props, and costumes, it is also home to the world-famous outdoor water tank used for the filming of Blade Runner 2049 and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Government Commissioner Csaba Kael announced at the end of 2024 in Los Angeles the extension of Hungary’s highly successful film support scheme till 2030, continuing its commitment to contribute to such international successes as Oscar frontrunner The Brutalist, Dune movies, Maria, Alien: Romulus, The Day of the Jackal and Now You See Me globally acclaimed series hits.
DETAILS: https://nfi.hu/en/nfi-studios
VIDEO NFI Studios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEQOKvdJpL8
VIDEO Made in Hungary: Recent int’l productions filmed in Hungary https://youtu.be/D8ZYBxgFAsI
