Hungary's expanded National Film Institute studio opens

Hungary's newly expanded National Film Institute Studios have officially opened.

The expansion added four soundstages, totalling 10,000 square meters of new studio space, 20,000 square metres of auxiliary facilities, and 135,000 square meters of green areas, resulting in an increase in domestic studio capacity of 22% nationwide.

Two of the stages can be connected using a soundproof mobile wall, making one stage at 5,000 square meters.

The studios were recently home to Lionsgate's Now You See Me, Disney+'s Shardlake, See-Saw films' The North Water starring Jack O'Connell, among many others.

The NFI Studios complex is situated on a 23 - hectare plot in Fót on the outskirts of the Hungarian capital Budapest, a 30-minute drive from Liszt Ferenc Airport, 15 minutes from the city centre.

In a statement, Ildiko Kovacs, head of NFI Studios said: "Recently, Hungary faced a significant shortage in certified soundstage studio capacity. There were multiple instances where Hungarian producers were unable to meet demand because the available studios had later booking dates. As a result of the completed developments, two new studios have now been added to the previous two major options in Hungary, doubling the opportunities.

"The expansion allows NFI Studios to attract and host large-scale productions while still providing world-class facilities for high-end TV and film projects. The new soundstages are designed to be flexible enough to accommodate various types of productions and are in proximity to the backlot sets and support facilities like props and transportation."