Mar 23, 2026 5:57am PT

Taking the Temperature on Global Film Locations: AI Threat, Geopolitical Instability, Conglomeration Among Concerns for Film Commissioners

Leading global film commissioners respond to urgent issues in the sector as the industry gathers for AFCI Studio Summit in Los Angeles

Rafa Sales Ross

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Rafa Sales Ross

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

In 2026, everything moves fast. While 2025 saw the global film business tensely try to navigate President Trump’s repeated threats to impose a 100% tariff on movies produced outside of the U.S., this conversation now feels like old news as other urgent issues move to the fore, namely the U.S. war on Iran and the still unforeseen impact of another major Hollywood conglomeration with the recently announced Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal.

Over the last two years, several high-profile productions — such as Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” — have served as examples of the great benefits of shooting abroad, especially when it comes to coupling mouth-watering tax incentives with highly-experienced local crews. Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is soon to become the latest to add to this conversation, with the “Oppenheimer” director having shot his epic across the world in Morocco, Scotland, Greece, Italy and Iceland.

Still, despite the increased popularity of shooting outside of the U.S., and the booming business of film commissions, the current sense of geopolitical and overall industry instability threatens to change the way foreign shoots operate. As leading figures in the sector prepare to attend this year’s Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Studio Summit in Los Angeles, Variety has spoken to several film commissioners to take the temperature of the business of taking productions abroad.

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What are productions looking for?

Speaking about the most common demands for clients in 2026, film commissioner for the West Finland Film Commission Teija Raninen is direct: “Cost certainty and efficiency, which requires transparent incentives, predictable schedules, and strong service partners.” She adds that sustainability and green production practices are still key, as well as “never-seen” backdrops that offer “easy access and existing infrastructure nearby.”

“There is also a trend towards flexible, multi‑territory workflows, with shoots combining on‑location work, virtual production, and post in different countries. Finland is positioning itself to fit seamlessly into that model and we can offer services to all or just one of these flows.”

Netherlands Film Commissioner Roeland Oude Nijhuis says he can feel a “definite shift happening” within the global scenario. “It’s being driven by something deeper than just economics,” he adds. “With everything that’s going on in the world — the political uncertainty, the instability in various regions — we’re seeing a renewed and genuine interest in the European co-production model. Productions are looking for partners they can trust, frameworks they understand, and creative relationships that are built to last.”

The Netherlands has acknowledged that shift and reinforced collaborations with neighbors such as Belgium, Germany, France and the Nordics. “There’s a meaningful appetite for projects that draw on multiple European territories, both financially and creatively,” says Oude Nijhuis.

“Sentimental Value,” courtesy of Neon

Projection is key

Countries like Norway have recently benefited from a major global window when “Sentimental Value” was nominated for a whopping nine Oscars, going on to become the first-ever Norwegian film to win the coveted golden statuette when Joachim Trier took home Best International Feature. This is one prime example of the importance of how international projection can help boost visibility to a particular country or location.

Norwegian Film Commission’s Meghan Beaton says their national productions have “increasingly competed on the global stage” in recent years. “Norwegian films