Madrid, [November 8, 2023] – Yesterday, the first meeting between the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and PROFILM, the association of production companies specializing in providing services to international audiovisual, took place in Madrid. During the meeting, PROFILM representatives expressed to the newly elected FEMP president, María José García-Pelayo, and the Secretary General of the municipalist organization, Luis Martínez-Sicluna Sepúlveda, the relevance of foreign films and series produced in Spain for promoting Spanish localities and their cultural wealth.
The network of Film Commissions and Film Offices, mostly coordinated by the Spain Film Commission, plays a crucial role in facilitating guidance and assistance to production companies considering the use of locations in specific municipalities. However, one of the challenges faced by professionals is the variability of deadlines and processes for permit applications.
“Faced with administrative diversity and complexity, we believe it’s feasible to establish a common denominator that can be accepted by all municipalities and provinces. From there, each territory can define the rights and responsibilities of production companies, taking into account the particularities of production and weighing the benefits and possible inconveniences that a large international production may cause”, commented Fernando Victoria de Lecea, president of PROFILM.
The FEMP president stated that “the Federation will address this issue due to its importance in facilitating an activity that contributes to exporting historical, social, and cultural values of the municipalities and territories of our country.”
The alliance between FEMP and PROFILM aims to facilitate access to local facilities and resources, thus promoting the diversity of scenarios for international film and series productions.
The consideration of audiovisual production as an industry of special interest for the territorial scope by FEMP will contribute to it being seen as an ally by local and provincial officials, avoiding suspicions and misgivings about a sector that is still little known.
