Sitges launches new one-stop film office to boost local filming and tourism

The coastal town of Sitges, south of Barcelona, is looking to boost its appeal as a filming location for movies, series, music videos, and commercials with a new web portal featuring a full catalogue of locations and permit application procedures.

On average, in the last three years the town has hosted 200 productions and hopes to grow that number with the new Sitges Film Office online portal by putting all locations and permits in one place, including paperwork previously done through an office.

"We want to diversify the economy and attract producers who can find excellent sets in Sitges," said Economic Promotion Councilor Albert Olivé-Rodés. 

The Sitges Film Office is also exploring a new way to boost local activity through tourist routes based on major productions filmed in the town. One example is the Netflix series 'Who is Erin Carter?' which was shot almost entirely in the town.

"There are many tourists, especially Asians, who are fans of these routes," said Liliana Tudor of the Sitges Film Office, adding that they hope the initiative will attract more visitors in the coming years and benefit the rest of the region as well.

In the shorter term, the office also plans to promote local talent by launching a competition for young people in the town, with the aim of growing the audiovisual industry at a local level.

In 2024, Sitges hosted 180 film shoots, following record numbers in previous years, including over 220 outdoor filming permits in 2022. "We are relaunching to boost this sector, and above all, to facilitate and publicize all the resources we have," said the councilor, happy many producers choose the town to film.

Sitges ranks in the top 10 places in Catalonia for the most filming activity. "Here we were pioneers in volume and intensity," Tudor said, referring to long-term shoots, "which greatly nourish the local economy."

She noted the impact on local services such as catering, rentals of spaces for makeup and styling, and private location requests. While studies show every euro spent on filming generates nine euros for the host town, Tudor said they haven’t yet measured the exact impact on Sitges.