Filming in Hungary Comes With a 20-Year-Old Tax Rebate — and Thermal Baths

Hollywood Reporter ^ | May 2024

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Filming in Hungary offers everything from a massive amount of production space and a 20-year strong tax rebate to eight symphony orchestras and thermal baths.

On a panel during the Cannes Film Festival at the Marche du Film, film commissioner Csaba Kael, as well as producers Ildikó Kemeny, Robert Lantos and Mike Goodridge, spoke about the experiences of filming in Hungary.

"Whenever I have a project that needs a European-looking city, my direct path is to Budapest," says veteran producer Robert Lantos.

He added: “I can say that of all the places in the world where I have made films where the rebate is most guaranteed to function smoothly is in Hungary.”

According to the National Film Institute, the total spending on production hit a record high in 2023 in Hungary, reaching $910 million, almost four times more than 2018’s $183 million. As for production capabilities, the NFI is undergoing an expansion at its studio complex, adding four new 2,500-square-meter soundstages, increasing total studio capacity to 12,670 square meters.

Then, there is postproduction…Francis Ford Coppola traveled to the country to record part of the score for Megalopolis (the country boasts eight symphony orchestras), while Lanthimos processed his 35mm celluloid locally at the Hungarian Film Lab/Magyar Film Labor in Budapest.

Goodridge, who will soon begin filming in the country on Son of Saul director László Nemes’ next film, also noted the importance of the country’s easy access to the rest of Europe and larger hospitality industry.

Only the U.K. has more film production than Hungary…

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Don’t any of these Hollywood/film leftists realize much of this is due to the conservative government in place?! 🙄😒