From the jungles of Thailand to the streets of London, summer 2025’s biggest blockbusters are not just showcasing A-list talent and billion-dollar budgets—they’re also shining a spotlight on the real-world locations that are becoming stars in their own right. This year, film-goers are being transported across the globe through the lens of Hollywood’s most ambitious productions yet.
On 19 February at the Austrian Film Hub at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, the British Film Commission (BFC) and the national film commission for Austria, Film in Austria, signed a memorandum of understanding, further strengthening the relationship between the respective countries’ screen industries. This signing enhances the collaboration between the UK and Austria through the facilitation of film and high end TV production between the two countries.
The City of Vienna has revealed a EUR2 million fund for international filmmakers. The Vienna Film Incentive is designed to draw film production and television series to the city, attracting tourism and benefitting the Austrian capital's local economy. The Vienna Tourist Board will act as the official processing body and main point of contact for the new scheme.
As we approached Tivat Airport from the air, the birds-eye view of fjord-like Kotor Bay, fringed with rugged mountains, was a fitting introduction to Montenegro's extreme landscapes. On solid ground we were greeted by our guide Igor Mitric who explained "it's amazing how quickly the landscape changes in Montenegro, you can go from Mordor to the Mediterranean in one day. This trip is designed to give just a flavour of what is on offer here".
It is fair to say that in the UK, at least, Benidorm’s reputation precedes it. Having boomed on to the scene in the sixties with the advent of package holidays, it has maintained such a prominent position in British culture that it spawned ITV’s award-winning situational comedy Benidorm, about a group of British holidaymakers who visit the Spanish resort each year, that remained popular for its ten series run. Needless to say, with this my reference point I was more than intrigued to find out what the seaside city could offer to productions beyond the cliched image.
The shortlist for EUFCN’s newly announced European Film Location Award is now available, celebrating the very best examples of European locations used by film and television productions.
Growing interest in locations outside of the major European hubs (France, the UK, Germany) has allowed Vienna to expand it audiovisual capabilities exponentially.
The Perak Film Office, which was initially established in 2012, will now be relaunched over concerns that the organisation hasn’t done enough to lure productions to the state.