At a recent industry event, StreamTV Europe, in Lisbon, local film and media leaders spoke about how the country is positioning itself as a serious production base. The conversation focused more on what Portugal can offer as a whole and less on cost comparisons. Variety of landscapes, a growing internal support system for filmmakers, and a clear push toward sustainability are all part of that picture. From coastal cliffs and historic villages to modern urban settings, the range of locations allows productions to capture very different worlds without leaving the country.

Choosing Portugal

In recent years, international productions have increasingly chosen Portugal as a backdrop. The historic village of Monsanto appeared on screen in House of the Dragon, while Madeira has hosted filming for a Star Wars series. Large-scale projects like Damseland Heart of Stone have also spent time in the country. At the same time, local productions are gaining attention beyond Portugal, with Netflix drama Turn of the Tide building a steady audience across multiple seasons. This mix of global and local storytelling is helping to raise the country’s profile within the industry.

Key factors

Industry figures point to a combination of factors driving this growth. Financial incentives have been updated to better match demand from larger productions, making Portugal more competitive within Europe. At the same time, co-productions with international partners continue to expand. Portugal now has dozens of agreements in place, making it easier for projects to collaborate across borders and access wider funding networks.

There is also an increasing focus on how films are made, not just the location. Sustainability has become part of the conversation, with efforts to ensure that production leaves a lighter footprint. This includes everything from energy use on set to how materials are sourced and reused. Alongside that, investment in technology and digital infrastructure is helping the country keep pace with a rapidly changing industry, where virtual production and post-production capabilities are becoming more important.

Lisbon as film location

Lisbon, in particular, is positioning itself as more than just a filming location. With initiatives aimed at supporting innovation and creative industries, the city is working to attract not only productions, but also the companies and talent behind them. The goal is to build a long-term ecosystem that supports the full production cycle, from development through to final edit.

Interest growing

Portugal’s film commission is still relatively young, but interest in the country has grown quickly. A new multi-year funding programme is set to run through to the end of the decade, backed by significant investment and designed to support both domestic and international projects. There is also a growing recognition that agility and collaboration will be key to sustaining this momentum.

For filmmakers, the appeal is becoming clear. Portugal offers visual variety, improving infrastructure, and a collaborative approach that continues to evolve. For the country itself, it marks a shift from being an occasional filming location to a place where productions are increasingly built from the ground up, with the capacity to support projects at every stage.