Locations - The Film Verdict

Ascona Locarno, home of the Locarno Film Festival is a green region of Activity

August 14, 2024 di TFV Staff

Ascona-Locarno is a decidedly green destination. To preserve the stunning landscape of the Ascona-Locarno region, the area is served by an extensive network of public transportation, a comprehensive bike-sharing system, and numerous cable cars, allowing visitors to explore the territory in an eco-friendly way. Getting here is simple: enjoy your journey from the start by...

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS NATURAL PLAYGROUND

August 10, 2024 di TFV Staff

Ascona-Locarno is a real paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, thanks to its lake, rivers, mountains, breathtaking hills and wide plains. With over 2,300 hours of sunshine a year and a mild climate, the region is ideal for outdoor adventures, offering a wide range of activities that include nature’s elements such as water, earth, and sky. For...

Too Hot to Handle, Beat the Heat

August 6, 2024 di TFV Staff

The special feature of Lake Maggiore is that it is accessible practically everywhere. There are an incredible number of beaches, lidos and bathing spots along the lakeshore. Some are accessible free of charge; others require a fee - but all are beautiful. Lake Maggiore is the perfect place to escape the heat, and for active...

Discover Ascona Locarno, home of the Locarno Film Festival

August 5, 2024 di TFV Staff

Founded after the Second World War, the Locarno Film Festival stands as one of the oldest and most prestigious in Europe and is the most significant in Switzerland. During the eleven days, over 300 films are screened in 13 venues and the winning film is awarded the famous Pardo d'Oro by the city and region...

Location Flashback: Munich (2005)

June 25, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, having stayed behind to collect the shell casing from the first killing, Clara (Claran Hinds) arrives at the rendezvous point at an outdoor café in Rome where he meets Avner (Eric Bana) and the rest of the team. Munich was released by Universal Pictures in the United States and internationally by DreamWorks...

Location Flashback: Gladiator (2000)

June 24, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Praetorian guards, sent by Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), surround Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) after his excape in an attempt to reunite with his former servant Cicero (Tommy Flanagan) as part of a plot to over Emperor Commodus. Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written...

Location Flashback: Midnight Express (1978)

June 22, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) dressed in a guard’s uniform and after killing the abusive guard Hamidou (Paul Smith) walks out of the Turkish prison after spending five years locked up for dealing drugs. The prison drama was directed by Alan Parker and adapted by Oliver Stone from Billy Hayes’s 1977 memoir of...

Location Flashback Popeye (1980)

June 22, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Popeye (Robin Williams) sends the local Taxman (Donald Moffat) down the shoot of the fishing dock after he tries to get Popeye to pay a tax for moving in after he moved out of Olive Oyl’s (Shelley Long) boarding house, and a baby tax for having Swee’Pea with him. Popeye is an...

Location Flashback: Troy (2004)

June 20, 2024 di TFV Staff

Filmed in Malta: In this scene, Achilles (Brad Pitt) walks along the coast of ‘Greece’ looking for his mother, the Sea Nymph Thetis (Julie Christie), in order to ask her advice about joining Odysseus (Sean Bean), the King of Ithaca, in the siege on Troy. The epic historical war film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen...

Location flashback: Ronin (1998)

May 21, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene: Sam (Robert De Niro) and Deirdre (Natascha McElhone) walk along the waterfront, posing as a touring husband and wife. to get a look at the area around the hotel where they plan to steal the suitcase. Ronin is a 1998 American action thriller directed by John Frankenheimer and written by John David...

Shooting has begun on Silvio Soldini’s ‘The Tasters’

May 18, 2024 di TFV Staff

Filming has commenced this week on Silvio Soldini’s new movie, The Tasters, in the province of Bolzano in the South Tyrol. The film is based on Rosella Postorino’s novel of the same name, an international bestseller published in 46 countries with over a million copies sold worldwide. The novel is inspired by the testimony of...

Location flashback: Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007)

May 18, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, after winning a raffle, Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) finally reaches the beach in Cannes, fulfilling his dream after a long and roundabout journey to the south of France. Mr. Bean’s Holiday is a comedy movie released in 2007. It was directed by Steve Bendelack, with Hamish McColl and Robin Driscoll as writers,...

Location flashback: Rocketman (2019)

May 14, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Elton John (played by Taron Egerton), marks his continued efforts to gain control over his struggles with physical and mental health, performing on the beach in the music video for for his hit song “Im Still Standing". The video serves as a tribute to the challenges he has faced throughout his life...

Location Flashback: Paris Can Wait (2016)

May 13, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Anne Lockwood (Diane Lane), takes a last glance at the scenic French Riviera before heading to the Cannes Film Festival with her husband, a film producer (Alec Baldwin). Unfortunately, her husband is too absorbed in business matters to appreciate the stunning view. ‘Paris Can Wait’ is a comedy film that was released...

Location Flashback: To Catch a Thief (1955)

May 12, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene: John Robie/Conrad Burns (played by Cary Grant) and Francie Stevens(played by Grace Kelly) stroll through the gardens of the Sanford Villa pretending to look for a property to buy. However, Francie is more interested in discussing John’s choice of women, while John prefers to talk about Francie’s ability to attract men who...

Shepperton Studios Expansion in Surrey is now Open

March 20, 2024 di TFV Staff

The expansion at Shepperton Studios in Surrey is now open and Amazon MGM Studios and Netflix are in occupation. The state-of-the-art development will add to Shepperton’s world-class amenities and provide an additional 17 sound stages, 548,000 sq ft of production and workshop spaces as well as two backlots. Amazon MGM Studios have taken a total...

Lucasfilm’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ scheduled to be shot entirely in California

March 13, 2024 di TFV Staff

The production will have the largest total qualified expenditures in the history of the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program.

EUFCN Location Award Finalists

February 5, 2024 di TFV Staff

European Film Commissions Network (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 Oct. 3rd 2022 and Sept. 11th 2023. The Location Award Jury selected the five locations competing for the 2023 edition of the Award. Voting closed...

Location Flashback: The Fault in Our Stars

February 2, 2024 di TFV Staff

This is an establishing shot of the hotel where Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Gus Waters (Angel Elgort) stay while on their trip to Amsterdam. The Fault in Our Stars is an American coming of age romance film directed by Josh Boone, based on the novel of the same name. The film premiered at...

Location Flashback: Oceans Twelve (2004)

February 1, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Danny Ocean (George Clooney), Rusty Rusty (Brad Pitt) and the rest of Ocean’s team arrive at their hotel in Asterdam in preparation for a big heist they hope will pay off their debt to Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Ocean’s Twelve is the second installment in the Oceans film trilogy, directed by Steven...

Location Flashback: Ted Lasso (Season 3, episode 6) 2020

January 29, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) is forced into taking a training run while the team is in Amsterdam. He makes the best of it by taking his coach and mentor Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) to the location of the Skinny Bridge from the James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever. Ted Lasso is an...

Location Flashbook: A Bridge Too Far (1977)

January 27, 2024 di TFV Staff

In this scene of A Bridge Too Far, a German soldier (Lex van Delden) returns from an attempt to surrender to the Allied forces, but has to tell his Lieutenant (Maximillion Schell) that the enemy said, “No, thank you.” A Bridge Too Far is an epic war film directed by Richard Attenborough. The film was...

East End Studios, located in Queens, NY under construction

December 20, 2023 di TFV Staff

East End Studios, located in Sunnyside, Queens has begun construction. Just minutes from Midtown Manhattan via the 59th Street Bridge, Sunnyside will feature three large 37’ clear state of the art stages and one purpose-built flex 27; clear stage. The flex stage serves as an event space, with views of Manhattan from the interior and...

Netflix announces ‘Too Much’ to begin filming in the UK in 2024

December 20, 2023 di TFV Staff

Netflix announces ‘Too Much’, a new rom-com series created by multi award-winning writer, director, producer and actor Lena Dunham (Girls/Catherine Called Birdy) and her husband Luis Felber. The series will begin shooting in the UK in 2024. Megan Stalter (Hacks) will play the lead role of Jessica, and Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) will play...

Flemish Economy Minister doubles budget

December 20, 2023 di TFV Staff

Flemish Economy Minister doubles budget; Screen Flanders invests three million in 14 new projects. Due to the high demand and high quality of the submitted dossiers, Flemish Minister of Economy Jo Brouns has doubled the 1.5 million euros budget initially allocated to the call. This has allowed Screen Flanders to grant support to nine additional...

Location Flashback: Uncharted (2022)

October 11, 2023 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) wipes down a table at a New York City bar as he makes small talk with a patron before stealing a diamond bracelet off her wrist. "Uncharted", originally set to be released on December 18, 2020, faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It eventually premiered at the...

Location Flashback: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

October 10, 2023 di TFV Staff

In this scene, Deputy Kovacs (Jeff Goldblum) weaves his way through the Kunst Museum in an effort to elude J.G. Jopling (Willem Dafoe), a henchman, and also the man who killed his cat - sent by Madame D’s (Tilda Swinton) evil son and heir, Dmitri (Adrian Brody). The Grand Budapest Hotel premiered in competition at...

Location Flashback: Verzasca Dam, Gordola, Ticino, Switzerland

August 17, 2023 di TFV Staff

Location Flashback: Verzasca Dam, Gordola, Ticino, Switzerland, James Bond, Pierce Brosnan

Heart-pounding Opening Scene in Netflix “Heart of Stone” filmed in the Italian Alps

August 15, 2023 di TFV Staff

While Netlfix new film, "Heart of Stone" is shot throughout Europe, it opens with a dizzying sequence that begins in a glamorous casino and ends with Gal Gadot’s special agent parachuting off a 3,000-foot cliff after a high-speed ski chase that was filmed at the Glacier Hotel Grawand in Senales, Italy. Perched at an altitude...

ANGELINA JOLIE RETURNS TO HUNGARY

August 14, 2023 di TFV Staff

Angelina Jolie is set to return to Hungary 13 years after she directed her Golden Globe nominated debut feature film "In The Land of Blood and Honey." This time she will be in front of the camera, portraying the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in Chilean director Pablo Larrain’s movie titled "Maria", about her last...

Location Flashback: Grindelwald Village, Switzerland

August 4, 2023 di TFV Staff

Grindelwald, a village in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, is a popular gateway for the Jungfrau Region, with skiing in winter and hiking in summer. It’s also a base for mountain-climbing up the iconic north face of Eiger Mountain. In this scene, With Anakin Skywalk’s (Hayden Christensen) turns to the Dark Side to become Darth Varer, and...

Location Flashback: Swiss Route 19 / Oberlap-Realp, Switzerland

August 1, 2023 di TFV Staff

Oberalp Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,044 meters (6,706 feet) above sea level, located on the border of the cantons of Graubunden and Uri in Switzerland through the Swiss Alps. In this scene, James Bond (Sean Connery) keeps his distance while keeping an eye on Auric Goldinger (Gert Frobe), but...

MIRAMARE OPENS ITS DOORS TO AVP GALA

July 26, 2023 di TFV Staff

Despite its beauty, excellent food, and history, which dates back to 1400 BC, the port city of Trieste is one of the relatively lesser-known Italian destinations. By the second century BC, Trieste was under the control of the Romans, whose emperor Augustus built its first major harbor. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Trieste...

Cinecittà boasts production of 3 films in competition at Venice Film Festival

July 26, 2023 di TFV Staff

The Venice Film Festival’s opening film “The Commander” by Edoardo De Angelis, “Enea”, by Pietro Castellitto and “Finalmente l’alba” by Saverio Costanzo, are in the main category competing for the Golden Lion. “Three films shot in Cinecittà in competition at the Venice Film Festival, directed by talented directors who are as different in style as...

Location Flashback: Dolder Grand Hotel, Zurich Switzerland

July 20, 2023 di TFV Staff

The Dolder Grand opened in 1899 as the Dolder Grand Hotel & Curhaus, and offers 175 luxurious rooms and suites, world-class restaurants, a spa, and an art collection that includes originals from Takashi Murakami and Salvador Dali. In this scene, after helping Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) clear his name, Lisbeth Sander (Rooney Mara) arrives at...

Netflix series “Sandman” Season 2 spotted filming at Durdle Door

July 17, 2023 di TFV Staff

“Sandman” season 2 starring Tom Sturridge, was seen shooting at Durdle Door in Dorset last month, shutting down the popular beach for a few days in the middle of the busy tourist season. During filming, secrecy was a priority and the project was only given a code name and all identifying logos were taken off...

Update of “The Day of the Jackal” (1974) is currently filming in Budapest

July 1, 2023 di TFV Staff

New espionage thriller “The Day of the Jackal”, the contemporary reimagining of Frederick Forsyth’s classic novel, is set to start filming in Budapest. The series follows a professional assassin who is contracted by a French paramilitary dissident to kill French President Charles de Gaulle. Shooting should last for seven months, and take place in at...

Le ministre de la Jeunesse de la Culture et de la Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid 504x300 1 Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid visits set of Gladiator 2 in aftermath of small fire.

Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid visits set of Gladiator 2 in aftermath of small fire.

July 1, 2023 di TFV Staff

Earlier the month, Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, visited the filming location of "Gladiator 2" movie in Ouarzazate, following a recent minor fire at the studio. The small fire that broke out was quickly contained by members of the film crew. When Bensaid met the employees of the filming location,...

JurrasicLocation Kualoa Ranch, one of the original film locations, celebrates Jurassic Park’s 30th anniversary with commemorate LEGO® set give away

Kualoa Ranch, one of the original film locations, celebrates Jurassic Park’s 30th anniversary with commemorate LEGO® set give away

July 1, 2023 di TFV Staff

Earlier this month, Kualoa Ranch, which is a film location, tourist attraction, nature reserve and working cattle ranch, created an awareness promotion on Instagram offering free LEGO® sets from the 30th anniversary collection. LEGO® Jurassic World kits feature scenery that is unmistakable to anyone who’s ever been to Kualoa Ranch in Windward Oahu. Known as...

Mexican animation, mexican shorts, Rita Basulto, Guillermo del Toro

A Backwards Glance at Mexican Animation

June 15, 2023 di TFV Staff

Backward Glance at Mexican Animation

1 Year old Mongolian Film Council celebrates the first Mongolian Film at Cannes

May 20, 2023 di TFV Staff

TFV first met Nomin Erdine last March at AFCI Week in Los Angeles, where she sat down to record a podcast with Eric Mika, President and Publisher of The Film Verdict (now available). The establishment of the Mongolian National Film Council was made possible through the passage of the law on the promotion of cinematography,...

Zoljargal Purevdash becomes the first Mongolian director in Cannes’ Official Selection

May 20, 2023 di Max Borg

The director of ‘If Only I Could Hibernate’ on script labs, working with children and bringing Mongolian cinema to Cannes.

Saudi Film Biz Goes Pro

May 20, 2023 di TFV Staff

No one could have predicted that just five years after cinemas reopened in Saudi Arabia in 2018, the Kingdom would become a hub for entertainment. In fact, as part of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s Saudi Vision 2030, there will be at least 300 theaters with over 2,000 movie screens by that...

Catalonia, A Giant in Film Locations & Incentives

May 18, 2023 di TFV Staff

TFV first met, Carlota Guerrero Manager at Catallunya Film Commission. in March at AFCI Week in Los Angeles, where she sat down to record a podcast with Eric Mika, President and Publisher of The Film Verdict (now available on spotify). Catalonia hosts an average of 4,000 productions per year – from short films to feature...

Bega Metzner brings passion, Culture, and film to Moab Film Commission

May 17, 2023 di TFV Staff

TFV first met Bega Metzner last March at AFCI Week in Los Angeles, where she sat down to record a podcast with Eric Mika, President and Publisher of The Film Verdict (now available). Born and raised in New York City by her director father and photographer mother, Bega Metzner was a child of the industry....

$100m FILM INVESTMENT FUND ANNOUNCED

May 17, 2023 di TFV Staff

ROAA Media Ventures, Saudi Cultural Development Fund and MEFIC Capital disclosed that they have come together to establish a Film Investment Fund for the Kingdom. The agreement was announced during an exclusive industry breakfast hosted by Saudi Cultural Development Fund during the Cannes Film Festival. ROAA Media Ventures, a holding company at the forefront of...

FROM SILK ROAD TO FILM ROAD

May 17, 2023 di TFV Staff

Italy and China, two ancient lands far away from one another, have historic ties going back centuries. It is generally believed that Marco Polo, a Venetian, was the first Westerner to explore China and chronicle his journey. In more recent times, Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci brought China to Italian screens with his spectacular 1987 feature...

Tristan Albrect has higher ambitions for Valias then the Dom at 4,545 meters

May 16, 2023 di TFV Staff

TFV first met Tristan Albrecht last March at AFCI Week in Los Angeles, when he sat down to record a podcast with Eric Mika, President and Publisher of The Film Verdict (now available on Spotify). “Filming in Valais feels like home, or perhaps even better!” says Mr. Albrecht. One of the recent completed projects supported...

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture

May 16, 2023 di TFV Staff

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture – aptly named Ithra, for ‘enrichment’ in Arabic – is Saudi Arabia’s leading center for all things creative and cross-cultural. Ithra opened its doors to the public in 2018 as an ambitious Aramco initiative to empower and celebrate creativity through workshops, performances, and events based on the key...

Italian Screens

May 11, 2023 di Kelly Jones

By Caren Davidkhanian Led by Roberto Stabile, Italian Screens was launched jointly by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Cinecittà for the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture, and the Academy of Italian Cinema and David di Donatello Awards, the Italian premier film awards that showcase the best of Italy’s film...

Netflix and UNESCO Reimagine African Folktales

April 5, 2023 di Oris Aigbokhaevbolo

Six directors across Africa make shorts for Netflix.

Insight Into FESPACO

April 5, 2023 di Rashid Bahati

As a lover of African and African Diaspora film, attending the Fespaco film and television festival in Burkina Faso for the seventh time since 2005 was an inspiring experience. As one of Africa's largest and oldest film and television festivals and markets, Fespaco significantly impacts the local economy of Ouagadougou, the capital and most populated...