MOBRA FILMS is a production company that makes official a nine years common experience in filmmaking of its founders. Cristian Mungiu, director, Hanno Hoefer, director, and Oleg Mutu, cinematographer, were colleagues in the film school in Bucharest from 1994 to 1998 and worked together their school projects and the films that followed afterwards.
Besides directing, Cristian Mungiu was in charge with the production of his films and of Oleg and Hanno’s shorts. He also used Hanno as an actor in three short films, two in school and one after graduation. Hanno Hoefer not only directed but also wrote the music of all his shorts and for four of Cristian Mungiu’s films, the feature Occident included.
Oleg Mutu was the Director of Photography or cameraman for all the projects shot by the two directors starting with 1994, eleven films altogether.
The collaboration continued after the film school, influenced by the fact that in the first three years of existence of the Romanian National Center for Cinematography, Hoefer and Mungiu were the two young directors that alternatively won the credits for short films. All their shorts made with the support of the CNC were produced by the same production company, a coincidence that not only favored their further collaboration on the projects but generated a common fate for these shorts. Zapping, On the Other Side, Nothing by Chance, Humanitarian Aid and The Firemen’s Choir were often screened together. Zapping and Humanitarian Aid were sold as a package for the Canal + in a show presenting the Romanian short films of today.
In 2002, Cristian Mungiu was awarded a prize in the name of Hanno Hoefer in Cottbus while on the exact same evening Hanno Höfer was receiving a prize in the name of Cristian Mungiu in Montpellier. On that occasion, our French sales agent who represented all our shorts suggested that we should maybe create a common film company. And this is what we finally did.
Mobra films was founded in 2003 and progressed steadily. 2005 was the year of several premieres for the company: during the Berlinale 2005 the first three films with participation of Mobra Films were screened. Also, the first international co-production shot entirely in Romania with the participation of Mobra Films was produced. Another premiere was that we won the first financing for a feature from the Romanian CNC. Last but not least, Mobra Films produced the first big budget commercials involving foreign professionals.
