Film production in Chisinau
Between June and December, usable daylight in Chisinau moves by 7h 20min — from 15h 52min down to 8h 32min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Chisinau rises at 05:10 and sets at 21:02; the evening golden hour starts at 20:14 and runs for 47 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:44–16:17, with a 52-minute golden-hour window from 15:25.
In practice, a spread of 7h 20min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:47 | 16:42 | 8h 55min | 15:53 |
| February | 07:11 | 17:29 | 10h 18min | 16:45 |
| March | 06:19 | 18:10 | 11h 51min | 17:29 |
| April | 06:18 | 19:52 | 13h 34min | 19:12 |
| May | 05:30 | 20:33 | 15h 03min | 19:49 |
| June | 05:10 | 21:02 | 15h 52min | 20:14 |
| July | 05:25 | 20:57 | 15h 32min | 20:11 |
| August | 06:02 | 20:18 | 14h 16min | 19:36 |
| September | 06:43 | 19:19 | 12h 37min | 18:39 |
| October | 07:23 | 18:19 | 10h 57min | 17:38 |
| November | 07:08 | 16:32 | 9h 24min | 15:45 |
| December | 07:44 | 16:17 | 8h 32min | 15:25 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Chisinau starts at 21:26 in June and ends at 21:42 — a window of 16 minutes. In December it is 13 minutes from 16:39. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:10) and September (19:19) there are 69 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Chisinau averages 10 rain days in May and 5 in August. A three-day exterior shoot in May statistically loses 1.0 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | -0.7 °C | 7 | 4.3 |
| February | 2.2 °C | 6 | 5.6 |
| March | 5.3 °C | 8 | 7.6 |
| April | 11.1 °C | 9 | 9.6 |
| May | 16.4 °C | 10 | 11.6 |
| June | 21.8 °C | 10 | 12.8 |
| July | 23.5 °C | 8 | 13.1 |
| August | 23.7 °C | 5 | 12.5 |
| September | 18.4 °C | 6 | 10.1 |
| October | 11.6 °C | 6 | 7.7 |
| November | 5.6 °C | 7 | 4.4 |
| December | 1.9 °C | 8 | 3.5 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Chisinau?
In June it starts at 20:14 and lasts 47 minutes; in December it starts at 15:25 and lasts 52 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Chisinau get?
Between 8h 32min in December and 15h 52min in June. The 7h 20min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Chisinau?
Combining daylight and rain days, August comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.