Lithuania signed a cooperation agreement on Monday to build a film studio in the capital, Vilnius, in a project expected to double the size of the country's audiovisual sector and draw larger international productions.
The memorandum commits to developing production infrastructure for audiovisual content in Vilnius by 2030. The aim is to attract more international film shoots, boost investment, create highly skilled jobs and strengthen Vilnius' position in the Baltic and Nordic film markets.
The studio is expected to be built on the redeveloped site of Litexpo, Vilnius' exhibition centre, though its exact location, scale and funding requirements will only be settled following a feasibility study and a detailed plan.
Plans envisage five film pavilions, some as tall as 18 metres. Romanas Matulis, director of the Baltic Film & Creative Tech Cluster, said major foreign clients could start booking space even before the studio opens.
Economy and Innovation Minister Edvinas Grikšas said that while Lithuania's audiovisual sector had posted record turnover over the past five years, the country had yet to realise its full potential.
