Alicante’s film sector is stepping into a fresh phase with renewed backing for international productions. Negotiations are underway for arrivals from the United States and other regions, with four major projects discussed for the coming year. The conversations, rooted in cooperative agreements with Spain and backed by local film authorities, point to a strategic push to integrate US and Canadian productions into the Valencian Community’s creative ecosystem.
New meetings involving producers, localization teams, assistant directors, and international service providers have taken place over the past month across Alicante city and its surrounding province. These encounters align with the broader push to revive filming activity after a period of disruption, and they underscore the city’s growing role as a hub for high‑profile audiovisual work.
Since the city’s reopening, filming in the City of Light has continued to gain momentum. Notably, the June premiere for a French project marked a milestone, and visits to Alicante studios have become a regular occurrence in recent weeks as production teams evaluate facilities and logistics for forthcoming shoots.
Among the four productions under consideration, three are feature films and one is a television series. Details on schedules and exact dates remain confidential at this stage, but industry insiders caution that the pace of production could shift in response to lingering scheduling pressures from earlier stoppages abroad. American studios have faced delays in recent months, and the rebound of activity could influence local timetables in the near term.
Guarded optimism surrounds the first slate of incentives approved for the Valencian Community. The decree guiding cinematographic and audiovisual incentives was enacted by the regional Department of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism and confirmed by the Consell earlier this year. This framework is already attracting significant attention and investment from both European and North American producers seeking stable, favorable conditions for filming in Spain.
Amenábar will shoot the movie “El captivo” in Alicante starting in February
Two confirmed projects illustrate the scope of plans under way. The film Prisoner, produced by Misent Producciones SL, is director Alejandro Amenábar’s upcoming exploration of Cervantes’s captivity in Algeria. The production is scheduled to shoot over nine weeks across the Valencian Community, with six weeks concentrated in Alicante province, beginning in February. Another project, an adaptation by Imperfect Films of Teenspirit’s young adult novel, is set to begin later this year and is anticipated to attract substantial North American and European attention.
The remaining three incentive targets include another feature film from a US‑based producer, Surfil Orwell, and two Spanish productions from Hampa Studio. The titles include an animated project titled Girl and Wolf and an additional film project titled Hunt for Flavors, reflecting a diverse mix of genres and formats drawing on cross‑border talent and logistics.
Foreign producers and localizers are interested in Ciudad de la Luz
Nuria Montes, Minister of Innovation, Industry and Tourism and chair of the board of the Society for Digital Transformation Projects (SPTD), commented that Hollywood’s pause is easing. As strikes ease, American and other international productions are expected to accelerate their return to Spain and commit solid support to ongoing activities into 2024. Montes highlighted the SPTD’s leadership, with Fermín Crespo at the helm, and noted that the region’s studios and services offer a compelling ecosystem for international cinema and TV work.
She described the Consell as fully committed to the film industry, emphasizing the advantages of the Valencian complex’s location and facilities. The objective is clear: to consolidate Alicante as an international reference point for film and television production, aligning local capabilities with the needs of global producers and distributors. This approach also supports job creation and the sustained growth of related creative sectors.
Alicante Film Office
Industry observers across national and regional offices are cautiously optimistic about the outlook. The Alicante Film Office notes that location scouts and production crews are increasingly active, and there is a real possibility of closing another project before Christmas. By 2024, the city is expected to host Amenábar’s project along with a French series and a Spanish feature, signaling a robust pipeline of work and a steady inflow of international attention to the region.