– The country’s rebate scheme will run until 2029 for financing agreements, while long-awaited amendments to the Cinema Law will introduce support for minority co-productions
The Diary of a Chambermaid by Radu Jude, one of the most recent films to have accessed the Romanian tax-rebate programme
Romania is moving to consolidate its appeal as an international production hub after confirming an extension of its cash-rebate scheme and finally bringing its revised Cinema Law into force.
The announcements were made during the RO Days industry programme at this year’s Transilvania International Film Festival, where Valentin Savu, manager of the Film & Cultural Investment Office (OFIC), confirmed that the rebate programme would be prolonged by three years. The scheme, which had been due to expire on 31 December 2026, will now remain open for the signing of financing agreements until the end of 2029, with payments continuing until 2031.
According to Savu, the programme will have an annual budget of around €55 million over the next three years. He said the extension should help Romania regain momentum after a turbulent period for the local incentive. “These three additional years give us enough time to put Romania back where it’s supposed to be,” he said, stressing that the rebate should be seen not as a subsidy, but as an investment in the Romanian economy.
Since the scheme’s relaunch in 2024, around 90 national and international projects have applied for support, representing more than €100 million in estimated local expenditure, according to OFIC. Recent productions to have accessed the programme include series such as Fox Nation’s The White House and Prime Video’s The Gray House, as well as features including Radu Jude’s The Diary of a Chambermaid, Mihai Mincan’s Milk Teeth, the international co-production Titanic Ocean, and local comedies such as Tati Full-Time and Millionaire Boy.
The rebate extension was accompanied by another significant development for the Romanian industry: the implementation of the country’s revised Cinema Law, which had been awaiting approval since December 2024. Romania’s Minister of Culture, András István Demeter, confirmed that the amended framework would now come into operation, allowing the National Film Center to resume its funding competitions under updated rules.
One of the key changes is the creation of a dedicated funding line for minority co-productions, a measure long requested by Romanian producers seeking to strengthen their international partnerships. The new law also replaces the previous system of interest-free reimbursable loans, known locally as direct credits, with non-repayable production grants.
The move has been welcomed by producers, who see it as a way to make Romania a more active and reliable partner in European and international co-production structures.
