Production Service in Sofia / Bulgaria

Handplayed is a full-service production company working across commercials, branded content, films, and stills.

Crafted in the EU by experienced producers and crews, we make complex productions seem straightforward.

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Bulgaria at a Glance

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Currency
Euro (€)

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Tax Rebate
25% cash rebate on eligible Bulgarian spend for feature films, TV series, and other qualifying non-commercial productions.

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Travel
Sofia is approximately 2-3 hours from most major European hubs, including Amsterdam, London, Paris, Vienna, Munich, and Stockholm.

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Climate

• Summer: up to 40°C
• Spring & Autumn: 10–20°C
• Winter: down to -10°C

Four distinct seasons make it possible to double for a wide range of European locations.

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Locations & Infrastructure

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Studios

Bulgaria offers a wide range of sound stages, studios, and build spaces suitable for productions of all sizes.

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Virtual Production

Handplayed has extensive experience with virtual production workflows, combining LED volumes, set extensions, and practical builds.

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Urban Landscapes

The New York & London standing sets at Nu Boyana Studios, the suburban American village, the authentic Wild West at Bufo Studios, the eclectic charms of tsarism and communism, Sofia has a lot to offer.

Natural Landscapes

Alpine backdrops, lush forest roads, a fertile valley, and a sea coast, Bulgaria boasts one of Europe's most extensive ecological networks, with approximately 35% of its total land territory protected.

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Why Producers Like Bulgaria

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World-Class Art Departments
Bulgaria has decades of experience building large-scale practical sets for international productions.

Experienced International Crews
All senior crew members speak English and regularly work with international clients.

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High Production Value
Budgets stretch further without compromising quality.

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Flexible Locations
Urban, rural, industrial, mountains, coastline, monarchist, Soviet-era, modern European, Mediterranean-looking - within a few hours' drive.

Rich Equipment, Props & Costume Inventory

‍From motion-control systems and camera vehicles to pontoons, platforms, period costumes and hard-to-source props, Bulgaria's production infrastructure is equipped to support even the most demanding of projects.

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Good to know:

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Shooting Days

The standard shooting day in Bulgaria is 11 hours plus a 1-hour lunch break. For children, it's 4 hours. Overtime is charged at 150% for the first two hours and 200% thereafter.

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Casting Diversity

The international community in Sofia continues to grow, but projects requiring significant ethnic diversity often benefit from casting across multiple European markets.

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Street And Drone Permits

Depending on the municipality, shooting permits can take from 2 to 10 working days, while drone flying permits usually take about 5 working days to be approved in high-density areas.

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Road Closures

Road closures are possible but allow for 2 weeks of lead time for approvals for smaller streets or roads and 3-4 weeks for bigger arteries.

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Mountain Locations

Beautiful, but logistics, weather changes, and transport times should be accounted for.

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Visas

Cast and crew from some non-EU countries may require visas to enter Bulgaria. We recommend allowing at least three weeks for processing, and longer when possible.

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Stunts, Firearms & Military Equipment

Bulgaria has extensive experience supporting productions requiring complex stunts, military vehicles, weapons handling, and specialised action departments.

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Why Handplayed?

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• Internationally experienced producers
• Commercials, features, documentaries or series
• Awarded for creative and craft at The One Show (shortlist), White Square, Communicator Awards, IAB Mixx, ФАРА
• Premieres in competition at Locarno, Sofia Film Fest, Brussels Short Film Fest, Reykjavik Film Festival, Thessaloniki Film Festival, with projects sold to HBO and Canal+
• Trusted by global brands, such as PayPal, BBC, Durex, Bosch, AirWick, Payhawk, Tinashe, and many more

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Handplayed develops and produces original films and premium branded content. We approach production from both a creative and executional perspective, solving challenges rather than simply fulfilling briefs.