Film and television production professionals took part in the Heritage Sessions on filming at heritage sites in Granada on Tuesday, 20 October. Organised by Andalucía Film Commission with the collaboration of the Regional Ministry of Tourism, Justice, Deregulation and Local Administration, the event highlighted how productions can promote and publicise Andalusia as a destination. The meeting forms part of efforts to position the region as a filming and screen-tourism destination, with productions showcasing Andalusia and attracting high-value visitors.
British location manager Jodi Moore said Andalusia’s diversity helps attract productions. Together with hiring Andalusian audiovisual companies, she said, filming creates jobs and generates significant investment in accommodation, restaurants and the tourism industry. Irene Manrique, a location supervisor at A Film Location Company, said projects made in the region have international reach, raising awareness of Andalusia and supporting quality tourism among visitors seeking natural and historic sites. She said productions can have an immediate effect through hiring local staff and companies, as well as a longer-term one by putting lesser-known destinations on the map.
Iván García, an archaeologist with the Research and Conservation Department at the Baelo Claudia Archaeological Ensemble, said audiovisual exposure for Andalusia’s architectural and natural heritage can increase cultural interest in the region and encourage people to discover these sites.
The event was attended by José Manuel López Suárez, the regional delegate for Tourism, Justice, Deregulation and Local Administration in Granada. It brought together Spanish and international audiovisual professionals, heritage-site managers and specialists in new technologies to consider the relationship between cultural heritage and audiovisual production.
The programme focused on screen tourism and its potential to raise awareness of and enhance the value of heritage, while also addressing the challenges of using historic and monumental sites as filming locations. Topics included coordination between productions and heritage managers, conservation, workforce professionalisation, image rights and intellectual property, as well as digital twins, virtual production and artificial intelligence.
The latest Heritage Sessions aimed to create a meeting point for the audiovisual industry and heritage managers, encouraging the exchange of experience and the development of approaches that can balance production with the protection, conservation and promotion of historic and distinctive sites.