Insights from Romanian film industry: interview with Cristian Anastasiu (Bold Film Studio)

To commence the new year, our team at Business Review has embarked on an investigation into the characteristics of Romanian movie enthusiasts. Recent public reports indicate that the Romanian cinema market has nearly achieved a remarkable EUR 60 million in box office revenue. Amidst our exploration, we couldn’t overlook the ongoing social media discussions surrounding Romanian film releases intertwined with hate speech. Our aim was to discern whether these controversies wield any influence over the choices and perceptions of cinema-goers. In our quest for a deeper understanding, we approached notable film distributors to glean unique insights into the preferences and tastes of the audience.

In this series, Business Review had a conversation with Cristian Anastasiu, Executive director Bold Film Studio, which recently launched the Romanian movies Klaus & Barroso, Taximetristii and Visul. 

How would you describe the Romanian cinema market in terms of audience attendance and box office performance in 2023? Do you believe there are going to be any changes in 2024?

The Romanian theatrical market continues to feel the aftershocks of the COVID epidemic and apart from a few bright spots on the international film side, which one could see coming as they fit the excellent results achieved all over the world (Barbie, Oppenheimer, 5 Nights at Freddy’s), the rest of the Top 10 continues to be populated by top performing local films (Miami Bici 2, Haita de actiune, Nunta pe bani).

The ever increasing comfort offered by the various platforms and wide variety of theatrical like content on display will continue to erode the small and medium titles’ performance in cinemas, as well as halt the full recovery and growth of the overall theatrical market beyond the pre-pandemic levels. Romanian titles, particularly comedies, are likely to continue to elicit strong interest and controversy within the market.

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Are there any specific genres or types of films that have been particularly successful in Romania recently, and do you plan to capitalize on these trends in 2024?

Commercial comedies continue to be the most reliable genre of local films at the Romanian box office. We shall put our own spin on the genre, first by opening our first PG, wide audience comedy, Klaus & Barroso, in January, and later this year by shooting our own parodic take on Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Murder on the Odobesti Express.

Can you share any insights into your distribution strategies for Romanian independent and art-house films in 2024 and how you plan to support the local film industry?

In order to mitigate the inevitable risks associated with a volatile theatrical market, we shall focus on careful target audience segmentation in communication and online campaigns, building long standing partnerships with sponsors and securing active cooperation from exhibition and commercial centers in key markets.

What role do film festivals play in your distribution strategies for independent and art-house films, and are there any notable festivals or events in 2024 where audiences can expect to see a strong Romanian film presence?

Selection and awards in local and international film festivals are not prerequisites for the films we distribute, but if we their producers (and here I am referring only to the films we distribute) manage to secure such accolades, we shall of course use them in our PR campaigns. As far as the films we produce ourselves, we tend to focus on mainstream fare and thus not festival titles.

Are there any upcoming movie releases or major film events scheduled for 2024 that your company is particularly excited about and expects to have a significant impact on the Romanian cinema market?

We are particularly excited to release our first title in collaboration with Grupa B (Cosmin “Micutzu’ “Nedelcu, Adrian Nicolae, Bogdan Theodor Olteanu) called Klaus & Barroso and to finance and produce the first international IP local adaptation in Murder on the Odobesti Express.

Is there still any place for public relations and media partnerships plays in your efforts to promote local films?

PR and media partnerships continue to be key components to our theatrical release campaigns, as they organically and feasibly complement the paid media component.

How do you engage with film critics, bloggers, and influencers to generate positive reviews and discussions about Romanian films, and how does this impact the success of your distribution strategies?

People who shape public opinion on entertainment products are equally important to us and we use various instruments at our disposal (set visits, early screenings, roundtables, screeners, film premieres and cast and crew meet & greets) to bring our films, concepts and casts as close to them as possible to get them invested in the stories we tell, characters we build and allow enough time for their feedback to reach their followers and fan bases and generate an impact there.

In an age of digital media, what online platforms and social media channels are you focusing on to connect with the younger, tech-savvy audience and raise awareness about films?

Although we include all social media platforms in our online budgets, Instagram and Tik Tok have become extremely important in communicating to the young audience and we generate custom tailored content for each of them.

How do you envision harnessing the power of film festivals, both local and international, to create a platform for showcasing and promoting Romanian independent and art-house films in 2024?

Festivals in themselves are a nice to have, but hardly a must for the films we distribute and even less so for the ones we produce and distribute. Our goal is to bring quality, accessible and entertaining content to an as wide as possible audience locally and educate taste and increase want to see for Romanian films in cinemas.