President Plevneliev: Investments and jobs in movie industry in Bulgaria can be tripled
A tour of Nu Boyana film production studios in Sofia has left Bulgarian President Rossen Plevneliev enthusing about prospects for the country’s movie industry.
Speaking after visiting the set where London Has Fallen – the action film starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman – is being shot, Plevneliev said that it was possible to triple investments, jobs and movies produced in Bulgaria.
Accompanied by Nu Boyana Film Studios owner Avi Lerner, Plevneliev said that more than 850 small and medium enterprises in Bulgaria benefitted from the film industry in the country and so far investments in Bulgaria’s movie industry amounted to $100 million.
He said that the image of Bulgaria among film industry people and the many international movie stars who came for movie productions in the country was very positive “but we need to upgrade it and show new prospects for the development of the industry”.
“Nothing is a given and we must fight for each investment, especially in industries such as film with high added value and economic prospects,” Plevneliev said.
He appealed for the cinema production industry to become a national priority sector in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian state should show that the film industry was a priority and find the relevant support mechanisms available in many other European Union countries, he said.
Lerner told reporters that Nu Boyana was very happy with the President’s show of support for the film industry in Bulgaria.
“We have been here for 15 years. We have made more than 220 international films in Bulgaria. Moreover, our activities support local companies related to film production.”
Plevneliev said that the further development of the film industry and the encouragement of foreign investment in the sector would also enable the production of very good Bulgarian films.
