The Spanish audiovisual industry is not only built with cameras and scripts: behind every shoot there is a silent but essential work to attract, manage and consolidate the productions that are shot in our country. This has been the central focus of the III Film Commissions Meetingrecently held at CINEMANÍAand which has counted with the participation of three outstanding territorial offices: Castilla-La Mancha Film Commission, Ibiza Film Commission y Asturias Natural Paradise Film Commission.
In this space for dialogue, moderated by Carlos MarañónThe reality of the work of Film Commissions, from attracting film shoots to the complex bureaucratic management, as well as the international promotion of their territories as audiovisual destinations, was put on the table. The following participated in the talk Mike Villanueva (Castilla-La Mancha), Bárbara Urías Puente (Ibiza) and Javier Bouzas (Asturias), three voices that agreed on the same priority: to prevent filming from relocating to other countries..
“The attraction of shoots happens on many levels,” Villanueva explained, noting that sometimes it arises from a simple phone call, while in other cases they actively work in national and international markets to attract projects. Bouzas added that a early and professional care is fundamental to success. For her part, Bárbara Urías highlighted the importance of making the unknown visibleHe pointed out that “we must change our strategy and make known what is not known outside” in order to position less explored places on the audiovisual map.
The meeting also addressed sensitive issues such as the competition between territories competition between territoriesIn response, the three professionals defended interregional cooperation. Far from an aggressive struggle, there is a mutual understanding that each location offers something uniqueand that productions often have specific needs that define the choice of destination.
One of the most relevant issues, however, was the debate on tax incentives, which tax incentivesone of the most decisive factors when deciding where to film. Villanueva denounced the inequality between autonomous communities The President also explained that work is being done to ensure that provinces with low population density, such as those with low population density, such as the provinces with low population density, will be able to benefit from the tax system. He also explained that work is being carried out to ensure that provinces with low population density, such as Soria, Teruel or Cuencaare considered IPI (International Production Incentives) Zoneswithin the framework of strategies to dynamize the so-called “empty Spain”.
“I prefer to talk about the Spain of opportunity“He said, stressing that these territories have enormous potential for the creation of new cultural industries, if the right institutional support is provided. Urías and Bouzas both agreed on the need to align with the relevant ministries and offices to articulate policies that encourage audiovisual production in their respective regions.
In short, the III Film Commissions Meeting highlighted the essential role of these offices as strategic agents for economic, cultural and territorial development, and made it clear that films and series start long before the first “action!
