A TOTAL of 59 films have been shot in locations across Almeria Province so far this year with several more producers having applied for permits, according to officials.
Sites in Almeria City such as La Alcazaba have been used, with the new Wonder Woman film set to be shot there later this year.
Filmmakers have used locations for films, documentaries, television programmes, sports and other such content.
The Junta de Andalucia’s culture spokesperson in Almeria, Alfredo Valdivia and Raul Enriquez, its environmental and planning envoy, said at a press conference multiple applications to film had been received. Authorities had declined permits in some cases, the officials added.
Valdivia said eight to nine per cent of visitors to La Alcazaba ask about the Casa del Alcaide and the Patio de la Alberca. These appeared in the Game of Thrones TV series.
More than 15 films had been shot at La Alcazaba over the last two years including programmes from Japanese television, Valdivia added.
Valdivia said plans floated by Junta de Andalucia President Susana Diaz to build a ‘cinema city’ in Almeria had gone through their feasibility study and were “practically” ready for contracting.
The official added the Junta had helped fund film festivals such as the Almeria Western Film Festival and the Youth Film Festival through the new Law of Cinema.
Valdivia said the Junta was committed to backing ‘film routes’ taking visitors through historic locations such as one based on Spaghetti Western director Sergio Leone’s Dollar Trilogy.
The Junta’s environmental spokesperson said 53 films had been shot in rural and natural areas such as the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, Tabernas desert and the Sierra Alhamilla.
Enriquez added several firms had shot footage for adverts for cars and other products in the province.
Almeria has long been used as a location for film shoots. Westerns such as The Good The Bad and The Ugly were shot in Tabernas desert from the 1960’s onwards.
