Lloret de Mar was the setting for the annual Catalunya Film Commission conference, which was held outside Barcelona and its metropolitan area for the first time. The meeting brought together around thirty representatives from film offices and location scouts from across the region, with the aim of sharing experiences and strategies to continue promoting Catalonia as a film location.
Among the participating film offices were representatives from the town councils of Barcelona, Manresa, Sabadell, El Prat de Llobregat, La Bisbal de Empordà, Castell d’Aro – Platja de Aro, Tossa de Mar, Blanes, Hostalric and Sitges, among others. The presence of these towns demonstrates the growing interest in the development of the audiovisual sector throughout the region.
The day before the conference, a dozen location scouts from different parts of Catalonia took part in a famtrip organised by the Lloret Film Office, where they discovered emblematic locations in the municipality, both on the coast and inland. The itinerary included locations such as Sant Pere del Bosc (a former Benedictine monastery), the Olympic swimming pool, the new amphitheatre in the Santa Clotilde Gardens, Lloret Castle and establishments in unique locations such as the Santa Marta hotel.
The day began with an institutional welcome from the Catalunya Film Commission, followed by a presentation by the Lloret Film Office, which unveiled its new website and screened a commemorative video marking its 20th anniversary. This was followed by a round table discussion entitled “What can a film office do for environmental sustainability?”, with the participation of Alberto Battocchi, Film Commissioner of the Trentino Film Commission and promoter of the Green Film certification system, who presented best practices and strategies for moving towards more sustainable audiovisual production.
The day continued with a session dedicated to the relationship between location managers and municipal permit managers, with contributions from location scouts Jaume Jordana and Charlie Tello, who shared their experiences and highlighted the importance of collaboration with local councils. This was followed by a discussion in which participants were able to share their experiences, concerns and proposals, with the aim of defining a common roadmap for the network of member municipalities of the Catalunya Film Commission.
In 2025, the Lloret Film Office will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Over the last two decades, the office has managed more than 800 film shoots, including feature films, series, music videos and commercials, consolidating the municipality as an audiovisual benchmark on the Costa Brava and throughout Catalonia. Coinciding with the anniversary, the new Lloret Film Office website has also been launched, a visual, functional and inspiring tool designed to facilitate the search for locations and specialised services for professionals in the sector.
In the words of the manager of Lloret Turisme, Elizabeth Keegan: “With this event, Lloret de Mar reaffirms its commitment as a leading destination for audiovisual production on the Costa Brava”. Among its strengths are its location on the Costa Brava, just over an hour from Barcelona, and the versatility of its urban and natural locations, combined with a professionalised private sector.
