Hot Spots: New facility Firefly Studios opens with big ambitions to meet demand for more stages in Serbia

Six years ago, producer Ivana Mikovic sat with her production designer friend as the two discussed the lack of studio space in Serbia’s growing film and television industry. It was a year after the government introduced its cash rebate of 25 to 30 per cent and Mikovic, a former BBC news producer, saw a gap in the market for such a studio facility. At the time, there were only a handful of venues in the Belgrade area – including PFI Studios and Take 1 – but they were constantly at capacity.

“We were joking about it at first,” says Mikovic, who runs Serbian production giant Firefly Productions, the organization behind hit Serbian series such as The autumn And Black wedding, both of which were selected for the Berlinale Series Market Selects in Berlin. “But then I brought the idea to a bank and the dream of building Firefly Studios quickly became a reality.”

In October, the highly anticipated Firefly Studios opened its doors to the industry with great fanfare. Located in the town of Pancevo, just 18 kilometers east of Belgrade (and a 25-minute drive from the capital’s airport), the complex consists of three modern sound stages with a capacity of over 50,000 square meters. a water tank, 10 hectares of background, production offices, workshops, a restaurant and horse stables. Two sound stages are located in an area of ​​21,500 square meters and a third in an area of ​​8,600 square meters.

“Given the number of projects coming to the region, we believe that the Balkan region needs something like this. “The proximity of this facility to our capital will make it much easier to attract projects from studios and streamers and will really strengthen Serbia as a production hub,” she says.

In fact, Serbia has plenty of solid production crews, a solid rebate system (“It’s not unusual for productions to get their money back after filming is complete,” she says) and competitive prices compared to better-known European film destinations like Hungary and the Czech Republic. certainly the attention of global producers.

Firefly Studios also offers production services and supports both international and local producers with a full package of film, television and advertising services. It has access to some of the best suppliers in the region, enabling production management, accounting, site acquisition, permitting and world-class construction services. The country is known for its high-caliber craftsmen, including construction workers, cabinet makers, carpenters, scaffolders, locksmiths, blacksmiths, plasterers and plasterers, masons, upholsterers, graphic artists, painters, calligraphers and patina artists.

Currently, Mikovic says the studio is full of productions through word of mouth and has received requests from international productions that want to arrive in March, June and July 2024. “We are currently almost fully booked until May next year. years,” she says.

Mikovic is particularly proud of the water tank inside the studio, which she was keen to add as she believes there is a huge shortage of water tanks in the European market. Firefly’s water tank is 1,614 square meters in size and 3 meters deep. Having a water tank puts the studio in comparison to more established European production facilities such as the UK’s Pinewood Studios, Germany’s Babelsberg and Malta Film Studios, which all have water tanks.

“It’s a big win for us,” says Mikovic. “We plan to eventually build an external water tank larger than the current one as we will be able to expand the studios at some point if necessary. But right now we’re focused on securing the right projects, whether they’re stand-alone projects or long-term leases.”