Italy

Italy is having a moment. A raft of international productions has beaten a path to the country, taking advantage of its rich historical locations, skilled crews and generous tax incentives.

Among the high-profile productions to visit last year was Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which turned the picturesque island of Favignana, off the coast of Sicily, into a full-scale Hollywood set. Guy Ritchie filmed elements of The Gentle­men season two around Lake Maggiore, while The Devil Wears Prada 2 filmed in Milan, including the historic Brera district that is home to many fashion boutiques, and on Lake Como.

If anything, international production has stepped up a gear in 2026. Seth Rogan’s The Studio has been filming its second series for Apple TV in Venice, at the luxury Gritti Palace hotel near the Grand Canal and the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido. Tom Ford’s next film, Cry To Heaven, set in 18th-century Italy, began filming in Rome in January and in the southern city of Caserta.

Netflix’s big-budget, live-action series adaptation of video game Assassin’s Creed is filming at Rome’s Cinecitta Studios and is expected to run for seven months. Besides using Cinecitta’s vast ancient Rome backlot set, it will also shoot in Rome’s Lazio region and in Tuscany.

Oliver Stone is also in the capital with White Lies, his first narrative feature in a decade, while Alice Troughton is filming family adventure series The Emperor’s Stone for European broadcasters France Televisions, ZDF and RAI.

Italy has many wonderful locations to fulfil any kind of request. There’s everything from the spectacular Amalfi coast to the beautiful historic cities of Rome, Florence and Venice, and from the striking snowy Alps to the Tuscan hill towns.

With these wonderful locations, many productions choose to shoot Italy as itself, but it can also easily double for other countries. The south can double for Greece, while Rome and Milan can be shot for Paris and New York, Naples and Matera for Jerusalem, and there are desert settings in the quarries around Rome.

It is important to note, however, that procedures and regulations vary from one city and province to another, so it is best to get in touch with them seven to 10 days ahead of the shoot.

Local know-how is paramount for productions and some locations, such as Vatican City and Rome’s Roman Forum, are near-impossible to film. But local production companies can advise on affordable and accessible alternatives. 

Italy has a reputation for being an expensive place to film but producers report costs are often competitive with Spain. Indeed, the many regional film commissions from Turin to Sicily are all keen to host international crews and boost investment after what has been a difficult few months with the pandemic. 

Italy has numerous international production service companies and crew providers, offering support that ranges from authorisation requests and permit provisions through to full-scale production, filming and location services. The website of the Association of the Service Production Companies spotlights some of the companies available in Italy.

 Full details : ape-italy.com

Italy stretches for more than 1,100 kilometres from the northern Swiss border to the southern Mediterranean coast, encompassing an area that exceeds 300,000 square kilometres. Its coastline spans 7,600 kilometres, with an array of adaptable landscapes.

The nation is home to two sovereign entities within its borders — the Republic of San Marino and Vatican City — and boasts swift travel and transportation services, facilitated by a highly effective rail system that connects the northern and southern regions.

Contact :

Tina Bianchi, Italian Film Commissions
info@italianfilmcommissions.it

Italy is a member of the European Union and a participant of the Schengen Agreement. Its currency is the euro.