Romanian film studioMediaPro Pictures has opened a representative office in London. The new branchis expected to increase the flow of footloose productions that make use ofRomania's low cost base and fast improving skills base.

The branch will be housed atthe London office of UK independent producer Box TV. "Working with Box TV inLondon we look forward to encouraging more British film-makers to Romania wherewe can offer an excellent standard of personnel and facilities for anoutstandingly competitive price," said Media Pro general director AndreiBoncea. He added that the move would initially expand the group's TV facilitiesprovision, but longer-term could also see MediaPro tapping into the UK'sdeep-pocketed film financing community.

MediaPro, which afterongoing expansion now has 14 sound stages and four water tanks, has recentlybeen home to productions including Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment's Cave, Ben Kingsley, Kristianna Loken and Michael Madsen-starring video game adaptation BloodRayneand Lucky UKFS and Bauer Martinez' Andy Garcia-vehicle Modigliani.Through Box TV it has recently made Boudica for ITV and GunpowderTreason And Plot for BBC2. It was also involved with Sex Traffic,the powerful series now showing on the UK's Channel 4.

Box TV chairman, Gub Nealsaid: "I'm passionate about the possibilities of working in Romania havingspent three years working there as a producer myself. As studios in the US andWestern Europe price themselves out of the market, with its bountiful andunspoiled locations and rich vein of people and resources, industry eyes haveincreasingly been turning to Romania."

In another move to put thecountry on the map, Romanian Film Promotion, the private sector film commissionestablished earlier this year, last week launched an online database offacilities and productions.