Spain only captures 20% of potential international filming

De un total de 80 grandes producciones internacionales inicialmente interesadas en rodar en España, se perdieron 54 ante la inexistencia de incentivos, según el avance del estudio sobre impacto económico de los rodajes en España, encargado por Spain Film Commission a la consultora Media Research & Consultancy (MRC).

In the current difficult situation that Spanish cinema and the Spanish audiovisual industry are going through, Carlos Rosado Cobián, president of Spain Film Commission, an organization that brings together an extensive network of regional and local offices specialized in promoting the territory, attracting audiovisual filming and assisting the national and international industry, considers that “an adequate incentive policy would attract 80% more of the filming captured so far.”

Spain is the only European country that lacks a national strategy to promote the acquisition of filming in its territory, and its competitiveness in this industrial segment is seriously compromised compared to countries such as France, Germany, England, Austria, Malta, several in Latin America and other emerging countries.

Currently, filming controlled and financially supported by the ICAA means that for every public euro incorporated into films, 4.4 euros are entered into the country's economy. However, if Spain applied any of the current models of other European countries that assume a return on the producer's investment of 16% on average (tax rebates) for each euro thus transferred, an impact of 15 euros would be obtained on the Spanish economy, which would mean multiplying by three the economic impact generated by the current regular production system.

Según el avance del estudio sobre impacto económico de los rodajes en España, encargado por Spain Film Commission a la consultora Media Research & Consultancy (MRC ), de un total de 80 grandes producciones internacionales inicialmente interesadas en rodar en España, se perdieron 54 ante la inexistencia de incentivos, 12 se trasladaron a otros países competidores después de iniciar trabajos de preproducción en nuestro país y el resto usaron nuestro territorio sólo parcialmente para rodajes que podrían haberse realizado íntegramente aquí.

This study makes an analysis compared to other countries in our environment. And it highlights that the implementation of tax relief in Great Britain has been essential for the industry and its non-existence would have reduced production by 75% and meant a reduction in its GDP by 1.4 billion pounds annually. All this without taking into account the impact that the appearance of English culture and scenery on the screens has on its tourism, which is estimated at 20% of the tourists it receives.

Spain Film Commission, according to its president, is preparing to hold a convention in which the national and regional public institutions concerned, sector associations and experts will be invited to participate to analyze this important phenomenon and draw lines of action.

Given that it is currently not adequately analyzed or identified in the input output tables (TIO) or in the public or corporate policies of the sector, except in some Autonomous Community.

"Spain still occupies an important place in the filming industry, but it misses out on many of its possibilities of turning the country into a reference place for the international industry. The excellent climatic stability, light, infrastructure and efficiency of its highly qualified professionals would allow it to compete in better conditions with other countries that are committed to attracting filming if it had the appropriate promotional and incentive tools. And these direct benefits can also deploy other induced effects in related sectors such as tourism or "contribute to the improvement of the country-image of Spain in the world"