EUFCN Location Award 2019: El Hierro awarded Best European Film Location of 2019
The Spanish island has been chosen from among 10 European locations as the best film location of 2019, for playing the perfect setting for the thriller TV series Hierro, created by Pepe Coira and directed by Jorge Coira.
EUFCN Location Award 2022: Meet the Jury
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) is delighted to announce the Jury for the sixth edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European filming locations.
The five distinguished professionals in the industry are in the process of selecting the five locations that will compete for best European filming location of 2022.
Markus Bensch (Production Executive / locations at Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures Gmbh), Olivier Dock (Independent International Advisor in film, audiovisual production and distribution at Whitebench), Harriet Lawrence (Supervising Location Manager – The Key Locations), Vittoria Scarpa (Journalist and Translator at Cineuropa), and former EUFCN President Truls Kontny (CEO and Executive Producer at Evil Doghouse Nordic) have the task of evaluating the 20 submissions from EUFCN member film commissions, focusing on the significant role of the location in the story and its innovative use inside the audiovisual product. The five finalists will be revealed on Nov. 28, 2022.
The EUFCN Location Award was established in 2017. Every year EUFCN members have the opportunity to nominate one location from a film or a TV series shot in their country and released with international distribution that particular year. To be nominated for this year’s edition, the production associated with the location must have premiered in cinemas, festivals, TV, online or on digital platforms between September 11th 2021 and October 3rd 2022. After the selection of the shortlist, starting from November 28nd, the general public will have the chance to vote for their favourite location on the EUFCN website. One lucky winner will be picked among the voters and will win a trip to the Best European Filming Location of 2022.
Past winners of the EUFCN Location Award are the City of Gorlitz (Germany), for playing the title role in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel; the Island of Corfu (Greece), in recognition of the role it played in the UK TV series The Durrells; El Hierro, Canary Islands (Spain), intriguing setting of Spanish thriller TV series Hierro; the Pažaislis Church and Monastery Complex (Lithuania), which helped to recreate the splendid and tumultuous reign of Empress Catherine II of Russia in the miniseries Catherine the Great; and last year’s winner Cahir Castle (Ireland), a key location for David Lowery’s fantasy film The Green Knight.
Below, a focus on each juror.
Markus Bensch
Markus Bensch has been working on locations since 1992 and joined the LMGI in 2016. He was nominated three times for an LMGI award, twice for outstanding location work on period films: in 2016 for Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and in 2020 for Terrence Malick’s A hidden life. He was also nominated for his work on contemporary TV series Inventing Anna. In 2020 Markus Bensch was the first German location professional to be accepted into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Production Design branch). Markus is based in Berlin, Germany.
Olivier Dock
Olivier Dock is an independent international advisor specialized in film and audio-visual production and distribution. Until 2017, Olivier was Vice President and Deputy Managing Director of the Motion Picture Association’s EMEA offices in Brussels, which he joined 21 years earlier. Olivier notably oversaw content protection activities in France and Spain, as well as national regulatory/commercial issues (theatrical and all media) across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Today, he advises primarily on global production. Olivier holds a BA from the Brussels School for Translators and Interpreters, an MA in International Politics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), a European Certificate in Audio-visual Financing and Commercialization from Sorbonne Panthéon / INA, and an MBA from the Solvay Business School.
Harriet Lawrence
Harriet Lawrence started her Location Managing career in the 1990’s working on commercials. Since then, she increasingly worked in drama and independent UK films. She has found the Moon on Earth, Scotland inside of the M25, the Maldives in a Heathrow hotel and Wolverhampton in Central Scotland. She has worked on all sorts of TV dramas, feature films, and stills shoots including Suffragette, Burton and Taylor, Fleming, Parks & Recreation, Henry VIII, all the Outnumbered series, setting up the first series of Downton Abbey and many of Stephen Poliakoff’s films including Dancing on the Edge. She is about to wrap on Emerald Fennell’s new film Saltburn. Since 2007, Harriet Lawrence runs the renowned Assistant Location Managers Training Course via Film London then Production Guild, and more recently supported by The Location Collective.
Vittoria Scarpa
Journalist and translator. Graduated in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Master in Journalism, Vittoria Scarpa starts working for Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso in 2003 (Kataweb, La Repubblica). In the following years she extends the collaborations with other national newspapers, including Hit Mania Magazine and Vanity Fair Italia, the website Style.it (ed. Condé Nast), the swiss press agency Café Europe. Since 2007 she works in Cineuropa.org as translator and Italian correspondent.
Truls Kontny
A dynamic C- Level Executive with more than 33 years of experience in the Scandinavian Film Industry. From 1989 to 2002 he served as CFO and later Managing Director of Norsk Film AS, the biggest production company in Norway at that time, where he produced, financed, and oversaw production of over 30 films and managed the financing activities for international and domestic co-productions. As Managing Director of the Norwegian Film Commission from 2003 until July 2021, Mr Kontny has been instrumental in bridging Scandinavian film production to the global industry. He has been serving and serves on several international board of directors including President of Scandinavian Locations, President of Nordic Film Commissions, and President of the European Film Commissions Network (until end of 2020). Mr Kontny has now joined Evil Doghouse Nordic AS as CEO and Executive producer.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 95 European film commissions and film institutions from 30 different countries.
EUFCN Location Award 2023: Meet the Jury
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) is delighted to announce the Jury for the seventh edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European filming locations. The five distinguished professionals in the industry will select the five locations that will compete for best European filming location of 2023.
Andrea David (Travel Blogger | Filmtourismus), Wendy Mitchell (Journalist, Moderator and Film Festival Consultant), Jerry Odlin (Sales Director of Boutique Editions Ltd), Alison Taylor (Location Manager, 1st Vice President of the LMGI) and Venia Vergou (Producer, member of Crew United Greece) will have the task of evaluating all submissions from EUFCN member film commissions, focusing on the significant role of the location in the story and its remarkable use inside the audiovisual product. The five finalists will be revealed on Nov. 27, 2023.
The EUFCN Location Award was established in 2017. Every year EUFCN members have the opportunity to nominate one location from a film or a TV series shot in their country and released with international distribution that particular year. To be nominated for this year’s edition, the production associated with the location must have premiered in cinemas, festivals, TV, online or on digital platforms between October 3rd 2022 and September 11th 2023. After the selection of the shortlist, starting from November 27th, the general public will have the chance to vote for their favourite location on the EUFCN website. One lucky winner will be picked among the voters and will win a trip to the Best European Filming Location of 2023.
Past winners of the EUFCN Location Award are the City of Gorlitz (Germany), for playing the title role in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel; the Island of Corfu (Greece), in recognition of the role it played in the UK TV series The Durrells; El Hierro, Canary Islands (Spain), intriguing setting of Spanish thriller TV series Hierro; the Pažaislis Church and Monastery Complex (Lithuania), which helped to recreate the splendid and tumultuous reign of Empress Catherine II of Russia in the miniseries Catherine the Great; Cahir Castle (Ireland), a key location for David Lowery’s fantasy film The Green Knight; and last year’s winner Chiliadou Beach (Greece), which emerged as one of the protagonists of Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness.
Below, a focus on each juror.
Andrea David
Andrea David studied tourism management in Munich and wrote her diploma thesis on how films influence our travel decisions. While doing research on film tourism she gained a taste of film-related trips by herself and started travelling to various filming locations. In 2007 she decided to share her experiences regularly on a blog called Filmtourismus.de. A few years later she turned her hobby into a profession as a travel blogger and started to work with tourism boards and film companies to create film-focused travel content. On Instagram she is specialised in aligning film stills with its real-life destinations. Meanwhile she reaches 150.000 visitors per month on the blog Filmtourismus.de and 830.000 followers on @filmtourismus on Instagram. In 2022 she published the travel book “Szene für Szene die Welt entdecken” in German language.
Wendy Mitchell
Wendy Mitchell is a journalist, moderator and film festival consultant. She is a contributing editor and Nordic correspondent at Screen International, the producer of the Sundance London film festival, the UK and Nordic delegate for San Sebastian, curator at Lubeck Nordic Film Days and consultant for Cannes Marche and Berlinale’s European Film Market. She has also been a speaker, mentor or consultant for EAVE, First Cut Lab, The National Film and TV School, the National Film School of Denmark and more.
Jerry Odlin
Jerry Odlin is the Sales Director of Boutique Editions Ltd, publishers of Location International Magazine and Location California Magazine. He has been involved with the ‘’service sector” of the film and TV industry since 1983 with spells working for Kemps (now kftv.com), Variety Magazine, the Creative Handbook (an image-based directory of Europe’s leading commercial photographers) before becoming one of the founders of Boutique Editions in 2003. During its time Boutique, he has published Locations Magazine on behalf of the AFCI, Location UK, Location Germany, the Cannes Lions Daily News as well as providing publishing services to festivals such as MipTV and MIPCOM.
Alison Taylor
Over the course of her 28-year career as a Location Manager, Alison Taylor has had the privilege of working on many recognizable film and television projects for all the major studios including, Disney, Amazon, Netflix, Universal, Warner Bros, Marvel, HBO, Fox, etc. Additionally, Alison is the recipient of multiple California on Location Awards. Her awards were for her work on Southland (2012), Straight Outta Compton (2015), and A Wrinkle in Time (2017) and Insecure (2021). She is an active member of the Location Managers Guild International (1st Vice President), Hollywood Teamsters Local 399 (Trustee), Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Producers Peer Group Executive Committee Member).
Venia Vergou
The former director of the Hellenic Film Commission at the Greek Film Centre (2017-2021) and board member at EUFCN (2019-2021), Venia Vergou has been an insider of the Greek film industry for over 20 years. A film critic. A co-producer of three feature films, as well as Coordinator for documenta 14 and head of communication and film programmer for the Greek Film Archive. She studied Communication and Mass Media in Athens and holds a M.A. in Film Studies and European Cinema from UWE in Bristol, UK. Today, Venia is a member of the Crew United team, responsible for establishing the Greek channel of the biggest European online network for audiovisual professionals.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 98 European film commissions and film institutions from 31 different countries.
EUFCN Location Awards 2024: Meet the Jury!
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) is honoured to announce the Jury for the eighth edition of the EUFCN Location Awards. Since its establishment in 2017, the annual prize for European filming locations has been celebrating outstanding achievements in the world of locations and showcasing the incredible talent that contributes to the magic of filmmaking.
Every year EUFCN members submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released with international distribution within a specific period. This year, the Jury, consisting of five distinguished professionals from the film industry, will select the shortlist of the five final contenders among the submitted locations and it will also vote for the winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2024, the best European Filming Location of 2024.
Tammy Glover (SVP Production, Sony Pictures Television, USA), Caroline Greville-Morris (Production Designer, UK), Benjamin Hendriks (Supervising Location Manager, Netherlands), EJ Richards (Supervising Location Manager, UK) and Sabine Schulmeyer (Supervising Location Manager, Germany), will evaluate all submissions by the EUFCN members, focusing on the significant role of each location in the story and its remarkable impact on the audiovisual work.
The shortlist of the five finalists will be revealed on December 2, 2024.
“Following the precious feedback by the EUFCN members, this year we elevate our competition by entrusting the decision of the winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2024 to the experts. We are thrilled to announce our Jury this year. Each Juror has an incredible track record in the film industry. Their massive experience on international productions enables them to value the high profile of the diverse locations and their creative use with a sharp eye. It is this diversity across our continent that makes Filming Europe a unique experience for filmmakers across the globe. That is why EUFCN feels obliged to celebrate outstanding achievements in the world of locations’’, underlines Venia Vergou, the new Manager of the EUFCN.
EUFCN proudly presents the members of the Jury.
Tammy Glover (USA)
Tammy Glover is the SVP Production for Sony Pictures Television. Previously, she was the VP Production for Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as Comedy Central. She served as Governor of the Television Academy, representing Production Executives. She is an accomplished musician and composer, touring the world with Sparks as the drummer for Ron and Russell Mael, playing on five of their albums, and appears in Edgar Wright’s celebrated documentary about the band, The Sparks Brothers.
Caroline Greville-Morris (UK)
Inspired to make movie magic from an early age, Caroline learned her craft in the golden age of music videos and artistically creative commercials. She has to date designed seventeen feature and TV films and had a hand in many more as an art director and set decorator. Creating stunning visuals and solving practical problems at the same time are what keep her inspired along with telling stories the most visual way possible.
Benjamin Hendriks (Netherlands)
Benjamin Hendriks is a (supervising) location manager from the Netherlands. After obtaining a master’s degree in Film Studies and Visual Culture, he has been working in the film industry for almost 15 years. He has worked on both domestic and international productions and had the privilege of contributing to projects such as Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, David O. Russell’s Amsterdam, and Atlanta, for which he received a nomination for a Location Managers Guild International Award in 2022.
EJ Richards (UK)
EJ (Emma Jane) Richards is a Supervising Location Manager with a career spanning nearly three decades in the film and TV industry. Their work includes high-profile projects such as Marvel’s Secret Invasion and Netflix’s The Diplomat season 2 – featuring numerous iconic British landmarks including St Paul’s Cathedral and Blenheim Palace. A member of the LMGI, the Television Academy, and the Production Guild of Great Britain, EJ brings extensive experience and insight into location scouting and management and its vital role in visual storytelling.
Sabine Schulmeyer (Germany)
Sabine Schulmeyer is a location professional with 28 years of experience in international film productions. Renowned for her adaptability and artistic vision, she seamlessly transitions between large-scale blockbusters and intimate independent films, tailoring her approach to each project’s unique needs. She worked on notable projects like John Wick 4, Matrix Resurrections, and V for Vendetta. A member of the LMGI since 2019, Schulmeyer served as Key Location Manager for a 2024 Netflix feature and she’s currently working as Supervising Location Manger on an international Apple TV series.
Past winners of the EUFCN Location Award are the City of Gorlitz (Germany), for playing the title role in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel; the Island of Corfu (Greece), recognized for its impact in the UK TV series The Durrells; El Hierro, Canary Islands (Spain), striking setting of Spanish thriller TV series Hierro; the Pažaislis Church and Monastery Complex (Lithuania), which helped to recreate the splendid and tumultuous reign of Empress Catherine II of Russia in the miniseries Catherine the Great; Cahir Castle (Ireland), a key location for David Lowery’s fantasy film The Green Knight; Chiliadou Beach (Greece), which emerged as one of the protagonists of Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness; and last year’s winner Inis Mór (Ireland), the isolated and rugged island that set the tone of The Banshees of Inisherin in a remarkable way.
EUFCN promotes the wide spectrum of landscape across Europe, the creative use of filming locations and it advocates the complex and hard work behind the scouting process which involves film professionals, Film Commissions and local authorities, as well as the economic and social growth of a territory generated by film productions.
EUFCN is a non-profit Association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 100 film commissions in 32 countries in Europe.
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EUFCN Renews Board of Directors
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) renewed its Board of Directors through an online vote, which concluded on November 22, 2024.
Teresa Loureiro (Lisboa Film Commission) and Stefanie Rauscher (Vienna Film Commission) were elected as new members of the EUFCN Board. Carlota Guerrero (Catalunya Film Commission), Adrian A. Mitchell (Oslo Film Commission) were confirmed on the Board and as Co-Presidents. They join Zuzana Bieliková (Slovak Film Commission), Tanja Ladović Blažević (Filming in Croatia), Alexandra Luetkens (Film Commission Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein), and Jūratė Pazikaitė (Vilnius Film Office).
The EUFCN Board of Directors, composed of 8 members, is renewed every two years.
The Board agreed to confirm Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell as Co-Presidents and Alexandra Luetkens as Treasurer of the Association. The Board wishes to express its gratitude to Lefteris Eleftheriou (Cyprus Film Commission) for his services as a Board member from early 2022 up till now.
“We are honoured and grateful for the trust we have just received from our fellow members of the EUFCN. To our very competent and engaged Board of Directors, we welcome two highly valuable new members, Teresa Loureiro and Stefanie Rauscher.
We are surely on the right track and confidently looking forward to continuing the work we have started to renew and further develop the EUFCN, creating more opportunities for engaging with the international film community, sharing knowledge and increasing the visibility of the Association and its members.” – Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell, EUFCN Co-Presidents.
“I am proud to join the EUFCN Board of Directors and I look forward to starting this challenge. I believe that EUFCN, with its holistic vision, dynamism and strong capacity for group work, plays a fundamental role in the challenging moments that the European film industry is going through and that lie ahead in the near future.” – Teresa Loureiro, new member of the EUFCN Board of Directors.
“I am very much looking forward to my new tasks as a member of the Board of Directors and to working on EUFCN’s common vision: a future-proof organization through increasing international visibility, strong relationships between members, sustainable appreciation of our members’ wealth of experience and the continuous expansion of our global network.” – Stefanie Rauscher, new member of the EUFCN Board of Directors.
The new EUFCN Board of Directors is therefore composed of:
Carlota Guerrero (Catalunya Film Commission) – Co-President
Adrian A. Mitchell (Oslo Film Commission) – Co-President
Alexandra Luetkens (Film Commission Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein) – Treasurer
Zuzana Bieliková (Slovak Film Commission) – Board Member
Tanja Ladović Blažević (Filming in Croatia) – Board Member
Teresa Loureiro (Lisboa Film Commission) – Board Member
Jūratė Pazikaitė (Vilnius Film Office) – Board Member
Stefanie Rauscher (Vienna Film Commission) – Board Member
EUFCN is a non-profit Association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 100 film commissions in 32 countries in Europe.
EUFCN reveals Location Award 2022 Shortlist
The European Film Commissions Network has announced the 5 finalists. The general public has now the chance to vote for their favourite European filming location
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) launched the sixth edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European locations in the film and TV industries, by announcing the names of the 5 locations that will compete for best European filming location of the year.
The 2022 finalists are:
Brissago Islands for Dawn Chorus – Ticino Film Commission (SWITZERLAND)
Chiliadou Beach for Triangle of Sadness – Hellenic Film Commission (GREECE)
Portsoy for Peaky Blinders (Season 6) – Screen Scotland (SCOTLAND)
Schlosshotel Kronberg for Spencer – Film Commission Hessen (GERMANY)
Stari Grad for How I Learned To Fly – Filming in Croatia (CROATIA)
During the first stage of the competition, EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between September 11st, 2021 and October 3rd, 2022.
The EUFCN Location Award Jury evaluated all 20 submissions, focusing on the significant role of the location in the story and its challenging and innovative use inside the audiovisual product.
The Jury was composed by Markus Bensch (Production Executive / locations at Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures Gmbh), Olivier Dock (Independent International Advisor in film, audiovisual production and distribution at Whitebench), Harriet Lawrence (Supervising Location Manager – The Key Locations), Vittoria Scarpa (Journalist and Translator at Cineuropa), and former EUFCN President Truls Kontny (CEO and Executive Producer at Evil Doghouse Nordic).
“It may be a basement, a castle, a bridge, a factory, a field or a street. Without a Location there is no film or TV- production and every location is as important as the other,” say EUFCN Co-Presidents Mikael Svensson and Pavlina Zipkova. “EUFCN wants to focus on the spots where the magic is created, by sharing the process and challenges behind the choice of a location, and by celebrating the work of all those involved in the transformation of places that tell stories. Vote for your favourite now!”
The winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2022 will be determined by the general public’s vote.
Click here to vote!
A lucky name will be picked among the voters and will win a trip to the winning location!
Voting opens on Nov. 28th and runs through Jan. 31st 2023. The EUFCN Location Award 2022 will be handed out to the winning location and film commission in February at the European Film Market – EFM 2023 in Berlin.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 95 European film commissions and film institutions from 30 different countries.
EUFCN reveals Location Award 2023 Shortlist
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) launched the seventh edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European locations in the film and TV industries, by announcing the names of the 5 locations that will compete for best European filming location of the year.
The 2023 finalists are:
Helsetkopen for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One – Norwegian Film Commission (NORWAY)
Hotel Parque do Rio for Bad Living – Portugal Film Commission (PORTUGAL)
Inis Mór for The Banshees of Inisherin – Screen Ireland (IRELAND)
Jotunheimen for Troll – Eastern Norway Film Commission (NORWAY)
Romsdalen Gondola for Succession (Season 4) – Western Norway Film Commission (NORWAY)
During the first stage of the competition, EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between October 3rd, 2022 and September 11st, 2023.
The EUFCN Location Award Jury evaluated all 24 submissions, focusing on the significant role of the location in the story and its outstanding use inside the audiovisual product.
The Jury was composed by Andrea David (Travel Blogger | Filmtourismus), Wendy Mitchell (Journalist, Moderator and Film Festival Consultant), Jerry Odlin (Sales Director of Boutique Editions Ltd), Alison Taylor (Location Manager, 1st Vice President of the LMGI) and Venia Vergou (Producer, Crew United Greece).
“As always with the EUFCN Location Award, the breadth and quality of the locations entered have been outstanding, making ranking the top 5 out of the excellent 24 entries, very difficult, albeit very enjoyable. The jury has been happily surprised to see how filmmakers managed to make such creative use in their productions of a spectacular array of landscape, architecture and cultural heritage found in Europe. It is unusual to have three nominees from the same country, but Helsetkopen, Jotunheimen and Romsdalen Gondola were so strong and unique that they really rose to the top, and it felt appropriate to celebrate these different locations, which played a significant role in three very different productions shot in Norway. Together with Portugal’s compelling Hotel Parque do Rio and the fascinating Irish island of Inis Mór, the finalists will reflect the importance and value of filming locations, essential characters in a story. Congratulations to all the entrants and the work they put in to make the work of the judges as consistent as possible.” – EUFCN Location Award 2023 Jury
The winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2023 will be determined by the general public’s vote. Everyone can vote here: https://eufcn.com/location-award-2023/
A lucky name will be picked among the voters and will win a trip to the winning location.
Voting opens on Nov. 27th and runs through Jan. 31st 2024. The EUFCN Location Award 2023 will be handed out to the winning location and film commission on February 18th, at the European Film Market – EFM 2024 in Berlin.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 99 European film commissions and film institutions from 31 different countries.
EUFCN reveals Location Awards 2024 Shortlist
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) has launched the eight edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European filming locations. This year, the competition takes on a new name, reflecting its growing impact: the EUFCN Location Awards.
Five outstanding locations, selected by the Location Awards 2024 Jury, will compete for two distinct awards:
a) The EUFCN Location Award 2024, selected by the Location Award Jury
b) The EUFCN Audience Location Award 2024, selected by the public through online voting
The 2024 finalists are:
Frøya for Billionaire Island – Midgard Film Commission Norway (NORWAY)
Mdina for Napoleon – Malta Film Commission (MALTA)
Schönbrunn Palace for The Regime – Vienna Film Commission (AUSTRIA)
Staatsoper Stuttgart for Cranko –Film Commission Region Stuttgart (GERMANY)
Tajogaite Volcano for La hojarasca – Canary Islands Film (SPAIN)
During the first stage of the competition, EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between Sept. 12, 2023 and Sept. 28, 2024.
The Location Awards 2024 Jury, composed by Tammy Glover (SVP Production, Sony Pictures Television, USA), Caroline Greville-Morris (Production Designer, UK), Benjamin Hendriks(Supervising Location Manager, Netherlands), EJ Richards (Supervising Location Manager, UK) and Sabine Schulmeyer (Supervising Location Manager, Germany), evaluated all 14 submissions by the EUFCN members, focusing on the significant role of each location in the story and its remarkable impact on the audiovisual work.
‘’It’s a privilege to serve on the jury and be part of celebrating the exceptional work presented this year. The creativity and diversity of the submissions is inspiring – making it no easy task to narrow them down. My deepest admiration goes to all the contributors and I’m grateful to have been part of the process!’’ – Tammy Glover, Senior Vice President Production for Sony Pictures Television.
‘’As location managers working in Europe, it is very nice to see that filming on location is being put in the spotlight and the importance is being recognized, which of course will help elevate our profession. It is truly an honor to have been asked as jurors for the EUFCN Location Award. It is very interesting to see all the different locations, especially the variety within the submissions. Like previous years, it has been difficult to put the final list together’’ – Benjamin Hendricks, EJ Richards and Sabine Schulmeyer, Supervising Location Managers, members of LMGI – Location Managers Guild International.
‘’It has been so fascinating to review films based on the location, and the location’s role in each piece. The short list is incredibly eclectic, including wild and rugged landscapes and astounding architecture both historical and fiercely contemporary. As a production designer I have been fascinated by the way that the location has supported the visual storytelling and in at least one of the films, almost playing a visceral role itself. This is by no means an easy gig! ‘’ – Caroline Greville-Morris, Production Designer, member of BFDG – British Film Designers Guild.
The winner of the EUFCN Audience Location Award 2024 will be determined by the public.
Online public voting opens on December 2, 2024 and closes on January 31, 2025.
Everyone can vote here: https://eufcn.com/location-awards-2024/
One lucky voter will win a trip to the winning location of the “EUFCN Audience Location Award”.
The Ceremony of the EUFCN Location Awards 2024, celebrating the winners, the best European filming locations of the year, will take place during the European Film Market / Berlinale 2025 in February.
EUFCN promotes the wide spectrum of landscape across Europe, the creative use of filming locations and it advocates the complex and hard work behind the scouting process which involves film professionals, Film Commissions and local authorities, as well as the economic and social growth of a territory generated by film productions.
EUFCN is a non-profit Association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 100 film commissions in 32 countries in Europe.
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INIS MÓR (Ireland) wins the EUFCN Location Award 2023
Inis Mór, the largest of Ireland’s Aran Islands, is the winner of the seventh edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the award for best European location in the film and TV industry organized by EUFCN – The European Film Commissions Network.
The award was accepted by Michael Byrne from Screen Ireland (Inward Production and Sustainability Executive) on Sunday, February 18th at the EUFCN Location Award Ceremony during EFM – European Film Market 2024 in Berlin.
The isolated and rugged island was a key location for The Banshees of Inisherin, directed by Martin McDonagh, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as friends turned to bitter enemies.
“Screen Ireland is delighted to have Inis Mór recognised with the EUFCN Location Award for The Banshees of Inisherin,” said Steven Davenport, Head of US Production and Partnerships. “This is the second time an Irish location has won this award, which really speaks to how much Ireland offers as a place for production: not just in terms of the country’s natural beauty – but our highly skilled crews and creative talent behind the camera.”
Michael Byrne (Screen Ireland) receiving the Award. Photo by Beata Siewicz
The Banshees of Inisherin is a Searchlight Pictures production, in association with Film4, Blueprint Pictures, TSG Entertainment and Metropolitan Films.
“A producer once told me this: there are two key elements at the start of a production of a film: locations and cast,” said EUFCN Co-President Carlota Guerrero. “In the same way an actor is not just a pretty face, I believe that a location is not just a pretty landscape. The EUFCN Location Award nominees are a proof of that. The Location Award is a celebration of the complex process and the hard work behind the scouting and creative use of locations, the involvement of the film commissions together with local authorities and local communities, as well as the economic and social growth generated by filming in a territory. It ultimately is about what’s beyond locations.”
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 100 film commissions in 32 countries in Europe. In 2017 the EUFCN established the Location Award.
The winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2023 was determined by the general public’s vote. One lucky name picked among the voters will have the chance to travel to Inis Mór and to experience the location in the most authentic way.
During the first stage of the competition, EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between October 3rd, 2022 and September 11st, 2023.
The EUFCN Location Award Jury evaluated all 24 submissions, focusing on the significant role of the location in the story and its outstanding use inside the audiovisual product.
The Jury was composed by Andrea David (Travel Blogger | Filmtourismus), Wendy Mitchell (Journalist, Moderator and Film Festival Consultant), Jerry Odlin (Sales Director of Boutique Editions Ltd), Alison Taylor (Location Manager, 1st Vice President of the LMGI) and Venia Vergou (Producer, Crew United Greece).
The finalists of the EUFCN Location Award 2023:
Helsetkopen for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One – Norwegian Film Commission (NORWAY)
Hotel Parque do Rio for Bad Living – Portugal Film Commission (PORTUGAL)
Inis Mór for The Banshees of Inisherin – Screen Ireland (IRELAND)
Jotunheimen for Troll – Eastern Norway Film Commission (NORWAY)
Romsdalen Gondola for Succession (Season 4) – Western Norway Film Commission (NORWAY)
Michael Byrne (Screen Ireland) with the EUFCN Board. Photo by Beata Siewicz
Johannes Koeck’s Farewell Letter to EUFCN | “Everything has its time”
Dear fellow film commissioners in Europe,
this is my farewell to you because “everything has its time“:
After more than 26 years as Head of Cine Tirol Film Commission, I have decided to enter my (active) retirement in order to devote myself to new tasks – I look back on an incredibly long, beautiful, exciting, diverse, surprising, successful, meaningful and fulfilling time: nothing could have made me happier in my professional life!
It was an unique and great privilege to be able to promote Tirol/Austria as a fascinating and inspiring film location – being aware of this I always tried to give my very best and thus live up to Khalil Gibran’s idea that “work is love made visible”.
If I had to describe all my memories of this probably longest chapter in my book of life in just one word, then it would be “gratitude” for the multifaceted experiences, adventures and discoveries in the “Heart of the Alps” and in many countries that I have been able to travel to in the course of my professional responsibilities, but above all “gratitude” for all the encounters that have enriched my life in such a wonderful way and made me who I am today. In this gratitude, I include all the people in Tyrol and around the world who have made this life possible for me and who have accompanied me over this long period of time! I’m most grateful to all partners, allies and companions in Tirol and abroad for the always excellent, trustful and solution-oriented cooperation over a long period of time – we can be very satisfied with the successes we have achieved together.
I was always a very proud (founding) member of EUFCN – exchanging visions and ideas, discussing challenges and solutions or meeting on a personal level was a wonderful experience to me: thank you so much for your kindness and support, for your patience and understanding as fellow film commissioners and friends throughout these years: I will recall our joyful encounters in many European countries for ever with fondest memories! I wish you all great success: your committed contribution means a lot to the film industry as well as to your countries, states, regions and cities – film commissioners promote, attract, support, network, connect, develop… and rock!
It is with great pleasure and confidence that I place the management of the Cine Tirol Film Commission in the hands and in the heart of my highly esteemed and extremely competent colleague of many years, Angelika Pagitz. Together with Anna Eisner and Joséphine Kennel, she will continue to promote the Filmland Tirol and shape and develop its future as the new head of Cine Tirol Film Commission – I wish the very talented, dedicated and motivated Cine Tirol dream team the best of luck and great success for their future endeavours. Angelika, Anna und Josie will be available via office@cine.tirol
I will now begin a new stage of my CV and use this, in addition to more time for myself, my family and friends, for further discoveries in Tyrol and journeys to near and far countries, for cultural events and social initiatives as well as for my own business in the areas of film & tourism- more on this from fall 2024…
With this in mind, I say goodbye with very mixed feelings, but above all with the feeling of a bond of friendship between us until we meet again here in Tyrol or somewhere else…
I would very much like us to stay in touch: I will be available via LinkedIn at “Johannes Koeck”.
I wish you all the best and a happy heart!
Most cordially!
Johannes Koeck
Jens Schwarz
Dusko Miljanic
Gert Krautbauer
Hamburg Mediaserver / Christian Spahrbier 
Juha Kauppinen
Vladimir Mudrovcic
Bea Borgers
D. Trifunovic
Andreas Gerth
Go Vilnius
The Location Guide, Filmmakers for Ukraine and EUFCN join forces for fundraiser at Cannes 2022
The Location Guide, Filmmakers for Ukraine and EUFCN are organising a fundraising campaign at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in support of the Ukrainian filmmaking community. Ukrainian lapel pins will be sold during Cannes Film Festival at events and pavilions, and a minimum donation of EUR10 is required by scanning a QR code.
“I am pleased to join forces with Filmmakers for Ukraine as we wanted to support an initiative that directly assists Ukrainian filmmakers in a swift and transparent manner,” says Clara Le, The Location Guide’s commercial director. “We are reaching out to the international filmmaking community at Cannes and will be aiming to raise as much money as possible during the festival.”
Launched by Crew United, Filmmakers for Ukraine is an independent European group of filmmakers that gathered after the start of the war in Ukraine. The group created an online platform – an information hub with different kinds of support (accommodation, legal assistance, work, education) – for all those affected by the war, paying special
attention to the country’s film community alongside people from socially marginalised groups (LGBTQ+, BPOC, women, children and national minorities). The team is in daily contact with many people who turn to them for help.
“Our actual mission is to connect people to make films together,” details Crew United’s managing partner Oliver Zenglein, “but right now it is just more important to bring people together to help those affected by the war.”
EUFCN – the European Film Commissioners Network – is a non-profit association that supports the European film industry and culture. The EUFCN aims to develop the exchange of information between its members, improving location research and shooting possibilities while supporting and encouraging the establishment of new Film Commissions.
“The European Film Commissions Network is part of our mission to create and join initiatives to actively support the film industry in Europe,” emphasises EUFCN’s managing director Angelica Cantisani. “In these sad and difficult times, we look to connect even stronger and to raise engagement in the support of Ukrainian filmmakers and Ukraine.”
Filmmakers for Ukraine – Fundraising Statement
The most important elements of our campaign are:
· supporting filmmakers
· helping quickly (for example, sending money by PayPal directly to individual filmmakers in need)
· avoiding unnecessary formalities, minimalising administrative costs, and maintaining full transparency
Our Ukrainian lapel pins will be available at the following Cannes locations:
The American Pavilion
Austria Pavilion
Belgium Pavilion
Croatian Audiovisual Centre Pavilion
CST (Higher Technical Commission for Sound and Images)
German Pavilion
Film Centre of Montenegro Pavilion
Film France
CNC (National Center for Cinema)
Film USA Pavilion
FOCUS London and makers & shakers Awards mixer
UK Pavilion
UPC (French Producers Cinema)
Le SPI (French Producers TV & Cinema)
Southern Sweden at Members Lounge Long Beach
North Macedonia Film Agency Pavilion
The Members Lounge Long Beach
More locations will be added soon. If you have a pavilion or an event at Cannes, and would like to get involved in this fundraiser, then please contact: clara.le@thelocationguide.com
In solidarity,
The Location Guide, Filmmakers for Ukraine and EUFCN
Venia Vergou named Manager of the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN)
Venia Vergou has been appointed new Manager of the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN), a role she will assume from January 2, 2024. She succeeds former EUFCN Managing Director Angelica Cantisani, who stepped down in August for professional reasons after 12 years managing the Network.
“Film Commissioners have been incredible mentors to me,” said Vergou. “Having an open dialogue with the policy makers and professionals in their film industry, as well as a wide knowledge of the statute book of their countries, they can make wonders happen behind the scenes. I strongly believe that a Film Commission is the crossroads where all paths of filmmaking meet.
Being appointed as the new Manager of EUFCN is an incredible honour considering its pivotal role in the growth of the audiovisual industry. I am respectful to how much Angelica Cantisani has contributed to the shaping of the Network since its establishment and I am fully aware of the responsibility of this position. I am also looking forward to working closely with the Board of Directors and the EUFCN members and staff, to further develop strategies and shape our future goals.”
“The EUFCN is in transition, as is the industry itself, and one might say; continuously so,” said EUFCN Co-Presidents Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell. “The work carried out by film offices and film commissions across Europe is fundamental to the development of the European film industry. As a result, EUFCN membership is increasing, a sign that confirms that our members both wish for and need a strong and competent network where they can find guidance, experience, advice and members alike.
It will be the EUFCN’s priority over the next months to consolidate the association’s presence as a key player in the European film industry’s landscape, to strengthen the ongoing relationship with producers across the continent and beyond, and to promote and facilitate networking and training activities for members, on both operational and policy level. We believe that Ms. Vergou, with her vast experience, energy and proven efficiency, will indisputably master the task.”
Venia Vergou is the former director of the Hellenic Film Commission at the Greek Film Centre (2017-2021) and was a member of the EUFCN Board of Directors from 2019 to 2021. Vergou has been an insider of the film industry in Greece for over 20 years, a film critic, a co-producer of three feature films, as well as film projects coordinator for documenta 14 and head of communications and film programmer for the Greek Film Archive.
“Ms. Vergou has the sense of quality and thoroughness in her work, and as of late she has shown her endurance and entrepreneurial skills in the team of Crew United when establishing this network of audiovisual professionals across Greece,” added Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell. “This bundle of skills seldom comes collected – and we are more than pleased to have her on board.”
As a member of the Crew United team, and the person responsible for establishing the Greek channel of the biggest European online network for audiovisual professionals, Venia Vergou will continue her work at Crew United Greece on a part-time basis.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 99 European film commissions and film institutions from 31 different countries.