Local audiences for Romanian films almost double in 2016

Admissions for domestic films in Romanian cinemas nearly doubled last year, according to new data published by the Romanian Film Centre.

The figures, which were cited by regional cinema website filmneweurope.com, show viewership went up from 203,822 in 2015 to over 400,000 in 2016.

The increase can be largely explained by the success of two comedies: the much anticipated #Selfie69, directed by Cristina Iacob, and Two Lottery Tickets by Paul Negoescu. These films reportedly saw returns of over 1 million euros ($1.07 million) worth of box office revenue combined.

Difficulties in reaching local audiences have been an issue of concern since many state-owned cinemas shut down after 1990, and have been particularly acute since a number of large cinemas in Bucharest were closed in 2015 because they were located in buildings considered to be at high risk of damage from earthquakes.

Source: Romania Insider