Several Hollywood producers are in Portugal this week to visit the country and meet with representatives of the Portuguese movie sector, the Cinema and Audiovisual Institute (ICA) announced on Thursday.
Details about the producers are being kept under wraps. All that has been revealed is that the entourage includes seven representatives of Hollywood studios and companies.
The goal of the initiative, organised by Turismo de Portugal and ICA, is to promote Portugal as a destination for filming movies. Producers are expected to visit Lisbon, Sintra, Óbidos, Tomar, Coimbra, Porto and the Douro region. The Algarve does not appear to be part of the tour.
Their visit comes just a few months after the launch of a new fund to support the tourism and cinema sectors. Up to €50 million will be made available for the production of international cinema in Portugal.
“Portugal is completely off the map of international (movie) producers,” Secretary of State for Tourism Ana Mendes Godinho said in June when the fund was launched.
But it should be, she says, as Portugal offers filming crews “completely different scenarios at short distances from each other”.
Lusa news agency also reports that the creation of a national film commission is underway.
