The popularity of Croatia as the most in-demand film location is growing, especially thanks to incentives in the form of a 25% refund of the total amount of eligible costs during production in the Republic of Croatia, and an additional 5% for production in areas of below-average development.
Therefore, it is not surprising that 2021 was one of the busiest years, with 20 international projects. The arrival of Game of Thrones is certainly the biggest event in the history of filming in Croatia. The hit series produced by HBO is one of the planet’s biggest and most popular series and it opened Croatia and its hidden beauties to tourists and film companies worldwide. Dubrovnik suddenly became known globally as the King’s Landing, while the streets of Split, the famous Diocletian’s Palace, and the beautiful Klis fortress became parts of the city of Meereen, which Daenerys Targaryen conquered together with her army and dragons.
The film industry got a boost in 2017 when the island of Vis “acted” parts of Greece in the movie “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” (2018). It is important to mention that just a few years earlier, the film “The Odyssey” (2016) about the most famous underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau, was filmed on Hvar and Pakleni Otoci, as well as on the islands of Vis and Biševo serving as a set for the southern part of France.
The uniqueness of Biševo and the famous Blue Cave are visible in the sequel of the movie “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” (2021). The beauty of the internationally less known (but no less wonderful) island of Šolta is evident in the sci-fi film “Bliss” (2021) produced by Amazon Studios. Most of this film was shot in Split.
Split waterfront, the viewpoint, and Meštrović Gallery are just some of the beautiful locations used for filming. One of the more prominent titles from the early 2000s filmed in Split is “Mathilde” (2004), directed by Nina Mimica and starring Jeremy Irons. The stone streets of Split, Trogir, and Dubrovnik represent parts of Jerusalem in the American series “Dig” (2015). The well-known BBC crime series “McMafia” (2018) was partly shot in Split, while German television production sets the set of its crime series “Split Homicide” (2016) – originally ” Der Kroatien Krimi” – entirely in Split. The potential of Split was also recognized by the romantic comedy “Ibiza” (2018) and the new film “The Weekend Away” (2022) produced by Netflix.
Croatia is a wonderful place with numerous filming options, phenomenal local filming crews, and many talented technicians. With the increasing popularity of Croatia as a filming location, the projects will certainly continue to grow.
