Location Award 2022
The EUFCN Location Award is the annual prize for European filming locations, organized by EUFCN.
EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a feature film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between Sept. 11th 2021 and Oct. 3rd 2022.
The Location Award Jury selected the five locations competing for the 2022 edition of the Award. Voting closed on Jan. 31st, 2023. The winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2022 for Best European Filming Location of the year was revealed at the European Film Market 2023 in Berlin, on Sunday Feb. 19th. One lucky name will be picked among the voters and will have the chance to travel to the winning location.
1 Ticino Film Commission
BRISSAGO ISLANDS — Switzerland
Feature Film: DAWN CHORUS
The Brissago Islands are two islands in Lake Maggiore, in the Gulf of Ascona, southern Switzerland. They are not just Switzerland only botanical garden located on an island, but also a regional landmark. Over 2,000 species of plants from the Mediterranean and subtropical regions of all five continents grow on the islands, creating a unique contrast between the subtropical plants and the snow-capped Alpine peaks. The breathtaking location was the setting for Dawn Chorus, the first feature film by Ticino screenwriter and director Alessio Pizzicannella.
The film is set entirely on the Brissago Islands, which become an integral part of the coming-of-age story. At the end of their sabbatical year backpacking around the world, four backpackers find themselves adding an unexpected stop among palm trees and alpine peaks on a tropical island in the middle of a Swiss lake. The story was inspired by the location, and even the characters were defined so that they would fit into the context. That portion of rainforest, surrounded by water and by the Alps, suggested something surreal. On the Big Island of Brissago, the historic villa built on the ruins of a monastery became a center of intense cultural activity and hosted famous painters, sculptors, musicians, and writers, including, by all accounts, James Joyce.
Dawn Chorus, by Alessio Pizzicannella, was produced by Venus & Beyond Multimedia, RSI -Radiotelevisione Svizzera, Jasa Productions, Nightswim, Los Hermanos, Jumyam and Central Productions.
2 Hellenic Film Commission
CHILIADOU BEACH — Greece
Feature Film: TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
Chiliadou Beach on the island of Evia, Greece, washed by the Aegean Sea, was featured in Triangle of Sadness, winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes 2022, as the castaway island where the protagonists find themselves after the explosion of the yacht. The island becomes the set of a fight for survival, where social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty.
Originally, Ruben Östlund’s black comedy film was intended to shoot in Thailand on a location which would combine a virgin beach with a jungle-like flora embracing the sea. Greece was chosen for many reasons, as highlighted by Erik Hemmendorff, one of the main producers of the film: The Greek cash rebate had just been announced, Greece is part of Europe and much closer to Sweden than Thailand. But we chose this location mainly for the quality of the place itself: we found Evia and Chiliadou Beach a bit different than the “usual” and more touristic Greece. The vegetation, the high mountains, the sea, and the stony beaches, give the island a feel of “unknown and secret place”, which fitted perfectly to the story of the film. The support and hospitality from the local community was also a very big factor.
Triangle of Sadness, written and directed by Ruben Östlund, was produced by Plattform Produktion. Producers Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober.
3 Screen Scotland
PORTSOY — Scotland
TV Series: PEAKY BLINDERS
The picturesque harbour of Portsoy, situated in the North East of Scotland, was a perfect fit for the period drama Peaky Blinders to film their season finale, doubling as a historic harbour in French Canada. Filmed in winter in the old part of the town, the seaside setting gave a frosty and eerie backdrop to the ominous series.
The town falls under the local Aberdeenshire Film Office who welcomed the production and were able to provide full access to using the harbour for the shoot. The local residents and the film office role in facilitating the shoot meant that the production were able to make the most of what the area had to offer as a base, and thanks to the frozen-in-time architecture and beautifully preserved Scottish port they achieved the desired aesthetic at a time where department budgets were being squeezed.
Portsoy can offer productions an entirely private shoot, which was ideal for this project as set dressing was a giveaway to where the Peaky Blinders end up at the end of the series. If you haven’t seen it yet, sorry for the spoilers! And if you do watch it, we hope you get lost in the chilling and beautifully set storyline.
4 Film Commission Hessen
SCHLOSSHOTEL KRONBERG — Germany
Feature Film: SPENCER
Schlosshotel Kronberg, located near Frankfurt am Main, was built between 1889 and 1893. The luxury hotel has once served as the retirement home for Queen Victoria daughter and wife of German Emperor Friedrich. The castle was the main filming location for Spencer, by Pablo Larrain. The film tells the story of Lady Diana’s last Christmas before separating from Prince Charles in 1991 and gives a haunting insight into Lady Diana’s state of mind at that moment in time.
The historic Schlosshotel Kronberg was built in the British Tudor style and bears a strong resemblance to the British Sandringham Castle, where the Christmas celebrations of the Royal Family took place. The production designers did their best to transform the hotel into a lavish and elegant castle and the location supported the production strongly with their royal archives. All rooms of the building were reorganized, some even entirely transformed during the shoot, offering the perfect location for this project. The production was supported by the entire hotel staff as well as the house of Hesse by granting access to the premises.
Spencer is a German/ UK/ Chilean/ US- Coproduction and was shot mostly in Germany. Other shooting locations include Schloß Nordkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia and Schloß Marquardt in Potsdam. Kristen Stewart was nominated for “best actress” for her compelling performance as Lady Di at the 2022 Academy Awards.
5 Filming in Croatia
STARI GRAD — Croatia
Feature Film: HOW I LEARNED TO FLY
Stari Grad (Old Town) is the oldest settlement on Hvar Island, one of the most beautiful islands in the Dalmatian archipelago. Its narrow cobbled streets, Mediterranean-style houses, gardens, historical monuments and beaches are filming locations of How I Learned to Fly, an entertaining family film that takes you on a charming, yet emotional summer adventure.
In the film, Stari Grad is the setting of 12-year-old Sofia’s unforgettable summer holidays, but also the place of forgiveness and family’s reunion and reconciliation. The wisdom and peace that radiate throughout the town and set events in motion are no coincidence. Stari Grad shares the birth-year with Aristotle (384 BC) and was home to Croatian poet Petar Hektorović, who in the 16 th century built the Tvrdalj Castle (featured in the film), the most beautiful Renaissance monument in Stari Grad. By building Tvrdalj, Hektorović materialised his idea of creating a microcosm; an enclosed space for all of God’s creatures – fish, birds, plants, and people.
How I Learned To Fly is directed by Radivoje Andrić and produced by Sense Production (RS) in co-production with Kinorama (HR), Art Fest (BG), Silverart (SK) and Doli Media Studio (BG). Stari Grad Plain and Stari Grad historical centre are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Location Award 2022
THANKS FOR VOTING!
One lucky name will be picked among the voters and will have the chance to travel to the winning location.