Lithuania strengthened its position as an emerging Northern European production hub in 2025, with foreign film producers spending nearly €56 million in the country — the highest level recorded to date.
The growth was driven by the national film tax incentive administered by the Lithuanian Film Centre, which generated €25.6 million in private investment for film production last year. The figure represents a 42% increase compared to 2024 and exceeds the previous record set in 2023 by almost 22%.
Since the incentive’s launch in 2014, Lithuanian companies have invested more than €133 million in film production through the scheme, supporting a total of 669 projects.
Foreign Productions Drive Growth
In 2025, 108 productions benefited from the incentive: 68 national projects, 21 international co-productions, and 19 foreign service productions. Foreign projects accounted for the largest share of investment, attracting €16.7 million through the scheme.
Beyond the incentive mechanism itself, international productions spent nearly €56 million locally on crews, production services, locations, accommodation, and other sectors of the Lithuanian economy — €17 million more than in 2024.
According to the Lithuanian Film Centre, the results reflect both competitive financial conditions and increasing confidence in Lithuania’s production infrastructure and professional talent base.
Strong Nordic and German Presence
Scandinavian producers represented the largest share of foreign shoots in Lithuania in 2025, with three Swedish, three Danish, and one Norwegian project filmed in the country. Germany continues to maintain a stable presence, with four German productions filmed annually in recent years.
Last year also saw projects from Latvia (four), as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Israel — demonstrating Lithuania’s broad international production appeal.
Major International Projects
The largest project supported in 2025 was the first season of the U.S. series Star City, which attracted €6.9 million in investment through the Lithuanian incentive.
Other notable productions included the German series Mozart/Mozart, which secured €1.5 million, and the Polish feature film Bunt, produced for Netflix, which attracted €1.135 million.
Among co-productions, the project “Ekskursija,” produced by Artbox in partnership with Norwegian and Swedish companies, drew €527,000 in investment, while the fourth season of the animated series “Smalsučiai,” produced by OAK9 Entertainment, led national projects with €643,000.
Growing Business Confidence
In total, 172 Lithuanian companies invested in film production through the incentive in 2025, with 67 participating for the first time — a 63% increase compared to 2024. At the same time, 105 companies that had previously used the incentive reinvested in new projects, signaling sustained private-sector confidence.
The largest single corporate investment in one project reached €1.3 million.
A Competitive Regional Production Base
Lithuania’s incentive model allows companies to reduce taxable income by allocating funds to film production, creating a hybrid private-public financing mechanism that has become a cornerstone of the country’s audiovisual policy.
Combined with experienced English-speaking crews, diverse filming locations, EU regulatory advantages, and streamlined administrative processes, the scheme has enabled Lithuania to compete effectively with established Central and Eastern European production territories.
With record production volumes and foreign spending levels in 2025, Lithuania is consolidating its position as a reliable and cost-efficient base for international film and high-end television production in the Baltic and Nordic region.
