City of Light project returns to life under Valencia leadership
The relaunch of the Ciudad de la Luz film complex is a top priority for the Generalitat and a personal challenge for Consell president Ximo Puig. The socialist leader aims to complete the legislative path that will bring the Alicante studios back to full capacity and to draft a fresh plan for facilities that have stood idle for a decade. The Autonomous Administration is charged with guiding this revival so filmmakers, producers, and documentary crews can experience the site firsthand. If mediation is needed, Puig himself will lead the process, outlining a clear roadmap for the director to resume filming. Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón is a key reference in this effort.
Puig met last weekend in Elche with Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, who was there filming a documentary about Misteri d’Elx during the city’s major celebrations. The Presidency organized a meeting between the Consell president and the filmmaker, with attendance from Elche’s leadership and the Valencian Community Thematic Projects Association, which oversees the film complex. Anthony Rhodes, the managing director, also participated. The regional leadership believes this time Ciudad de la Luz can shine on its own, avoiding past missteps. A notable development was the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition lifting restrictions tied to a prior ruling on free competition, a decision achieved years ahead of schedule and framed as a victory over inherited constraints. Yet the broader aim remains straightforward: revive the studios for contemporary production. Puig is prepared to take a public-relations role to drive this revival forward.
Generalitat is actively seeking a chief operations officer for Ciudad de la Luz, with a compensation package of 300,000 euros for a two-year term. This position signals the scale of the planned restart and the importance placed on structured management as filming activity returns to the site.
During the Elche meeting, Puig outlined the proposed framework to the producer for restarting productions. Sources from the Generalitat report that the priority is to regroup and ready the studios for renewed activity. Puig asserted that Ciudad de la Luz stands ready to meet this challenge, while Gutiérrez Aragón thanked the administration for coordinating efforts that will ensure filming returns to the studios. He noted that the opening came at a timely moment, driven by strong demand from productions and studios across Spain and Europe. This momentum is seen as a sign that the initiative has moved beyond political calculations toward tangible industry impact. The path forward includes renewed access to equipment, streamlined permitting, and stronger ties with regional and international partners who value the studio complex as a hub for high-quality cinema and documentary projects. The collaboration emphasizes a future where the Ciudad de la Luz complex can again host large-scale shoots, post-production work, and training programs that support local talent and international collaborations. The leadership stresses that the project is not a symbolic gesture but a practical investment in regional culture, jobs, and creative output. The discussions in Elche reflect a broader strategic aim: to position Ciudad de la Luz as a competitive, compliant, and efficient facility that responds to the evolving needs of modern film production. The parties agree that a well-structured plan, clear milestones, and steady funding will underpin the facility’s successful revival and its ability to attract global productions. The collaboration also highlights the importance of maintaining regulatory compliance, fostering transparent operations, and delivering reliable, world-class infrastructure for the audiovisual sector. In this sense, the Ciudad de la Luz project is framed not just as a local revival but as a beacon for regional leadership in cultural industries and a model for future public-private partnerships in Spain and beyond. Citations: Generalitat announcements; Elche city council communications; Gutiérrez Aragón statements.