How Globe-Trotting Locations and Foreign Tax Incentives Helped Propel ‘Dune 2,’ ‘Queer,’ ‘Maria’ and Other Contenders Into the Oscar Race

As a seasoned film enthusiast with an eye for detail and a heart for storytelling, I find myself utterly captivated by the intricate tapestry of productions that have come to life across the globe. Each one, a testament to the boundless creativity and resilience of filmmakers, who seemingly defy geographical boundaries in their pursuit of excellence.

2019’s Academy Award nominees transport viewers through diverse landscapes spanning both time and space. They traverse historical Rome in the Colosseum, delve into 1950s Mexico City’s illicit dens, navigate a crowded TV studio setting, and explore alien deserts on distant planets. The creation of these potential Oscar winners involved meticulous production design, tax incentives from multiple countries, tireless location scouting efforts, and some cinematic magic to transform ordinary locations into extraordinary destinations.

Filming locations for several of EbMaster‘s preferred films, which are creating a buzz during this awards season, are as follows:

In lieu of a papal exception that would permit Edward Berger’s Vatican-themed drama to film within the Sistine Chapel, the crew instead chose the equally impressive Cinecittà Studios to construct an identical replica. The Sistine Chapel and the Casa Santa Marta were painstakingly created on stage 15 – one of the studio’s largest and most adaptable spaces – over a period of ten weeks by a team of 50 skilled craftspeople, who mirrored Michelangelo’s masterpiece in a fraction of the time it took the renowned Renaissance artist to paint his original work.

The major part of Nora Fingscheidt’s drama, featuring Saoirse Ronan, was shot on location at Scotland’s Orkney Islands, even though the actual “Outrun” – a wild and windy coastal area – is situated on a private farm. There are no local film production companies on Orkney, but the necessary equipment rental, permits, location scouting, and logistics were handled by Orkney Marketing, which serves as an unofficial film office for this archipelago (with a population of about 22,000).

Voulez-vous Production Services, a longstanding company based in Paris, oversaw the 108-day filming of Coralie Fargeat’s horror film featuring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. This production was shot in the Paris area and various locations along the Côte d’Azur. To create settings reminiscent of Hollywood and California, the crew primarily worked with a French team and took advantage of France’s 40% tax rebate. The strategic move proved successful, as French viewers at the film’s Cannes debut were surprised to discover it was shot close to home.

Gladiator II

Maria
Pablo Larraín’s biopic of Maria Callas, portrayed by Angelina Jolie, primarily filmed in Budapest despite some scenes being shot in Greece and Paris. The local production company, Pioneer Stillking Films, used the Hungarian State Opera House and the historic Express Building to depict Callas’ Parisian grand apartment and other locations. To include La Scala, a single shooting day was added in Milan.

How Globe-Trotting Locations and Foreign Tax Incentives Helped Propel ‘Dune 2,’ ‘Queer,’ ‘Maria’ and Other Contenders Into the Oscar Race

Dune 2
Director Dennis Villeneuve filmed his science fiction sequel’s dramatic desert scenes across the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Production assistance, essential crew, and equipment were supplied by Mid Atlantic Films based in Budapest, who were eligible for Hungary’s 30% rebate due to a tax incentive provision. Local crews played a significant role in constructing massive backlots amidst the desert, with help from Epic Films in Dubai and Jordan’s Zaman Project Management.

Blitz
Steve McQueen’s WWII drama was staged in various locations across London, including the Underground Tube stations and Roupell Street in Waterloo, as well as recreated versions of Blitz-era London, like Café de Paris in the West End. This replication took place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, using four soundstages and the studio backlot. Some crucial scenes were also filmed in Hull, where Paragon Station stood in for Paddington station, and a significant action sequence was captured at the Historic Dockyard Chatham, a former naval base.

A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg’s road movie about two cousins taking a “Holocaust tour” across Poland got assistance from a range of local bodies and commissions — including the Polish Film Institute and the Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission, which both co-financed the project — along with Poland’s 30% cash rebate. Key scenes were shot with the help of the Lublin Film Fund in that eastern city, where Oscar-winning producer Ewa Puszczyńska also worked closely with local officials to secure rare permission to film at the Majdanek concentration camp.

Robert Eggers’ modern take on the 1922 German horror masterpiece “Nosferatu” was filmed in various locations across the Czech Republic, with assistance from Prague-based Stillking Films. The country’s cash rebate, increasing to 25% in January, was utilized for filming at places such as the 13th-century Rožmitál Castle in Bohemia and Prague’s striking Invalidovna complex, previously a home for war veterans. Filming also occurred at Prague’s renowned Barrandov Studios, utilizing three stages and a backlot to construct the movie’s intricate sets.

Although the majority of Luca Guadagnino’s highly anticipated adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ personal novel takes place in Mexico City (with most filming happening at Rome’s Cinecittà), a week of shooting was utilized to replicate 1940s Latin America. This included Sicily’s botanical garden, standing in for a Mexican forest, and Piazza Magione, where a vibrant market set was constructed. While the necessary equipment came from Rome, the Sicilia Film Commission assisted the production in gaining access to local funds and locations such as the remote nature reserve along the Belice River, which represented Panama on screen.

How Globe-Trotting Locations and Foreign Tax Incentives Helped Propel ‘Dune 2,’ ‘Queer,’ ‘Maria’ and Other Contenders Into the Oscar Race

As a fervent admirer, I’d like to share that Jacques Audiard, the renowned French director, initially envisioned his unique blend of musical crime comedy – centered around a Mexican cartel leader undergoing a gender transition as a means of evading legal persecution – to be filmed in the vibrant landscapes of Mexico. However, the project eventually found its home at Bry-Sur-Marne Studios, nestled just outside the captivating cityscape of Paris. This studio, now expanded dramatically as part of France’s 2030 modernization initiative, has emerged as a hub for French film productions, hosting approximately half of them. The Audiard team painstakingly crafted an authentic Mexican setting within this versatile studio, making it the perfect stage for France’s submission to the prestigious International Feature Film Oscar.

On September 5th, Tim Fehlbaum’s Academy Award-contending production team meticulously recreated ABC’s control room during the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis, using a 11,300-square-foot soundstage at Bavaria Studios. Set designer Julian R. Wagner and his crew procured original equipment from museums and private collectors throughout Europe. The monitors were connected and managed by the full-service post house, Panoptimo, enabling the actors to engage with authentic archival footage in real time.

Brady Corbet’s grand film narrative follows the life of a Hungarian-Jewish architect who emigrates to America post World War II. However, despite being co-produced by Proton Cinema based in Budapest, the production itself did not extend as far geographically. The set design, led by Judy Becker and her team, utilized the streets of Budapest to replicate mid-20th century American suburbia. This endeavor was aided by Hungary’s National Film Institute, which provided assistance through a 30% tax incentive, as well as the lab that processed all 70mm film stock for Corbet’s production.

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2024-11-30 20:17