(ARTS) International Film Production Returns To Israel

"After 15 years, Israel was back on the locations map.

Several deals for international film products to be shot in Israel were signed at the Location Expo in Seville. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor set up a booth at the expo, which mediates between producers and film locations around the world. According to ministry figures, for the first time in years, deals worth tens of thousands of euros were signed for the production of films in Israel, mostly advertisements.

Zafrir Asaf, who is responsible for audiovisual productions at the Investment Promotion Center, told 'Globes' that after 15 years, Israel was back on the locations map. 'The economic potential of this industry is huge. The global industry has a turnover of tens of billions of dollars a year. The direct economic effect, in terms of workdays by the film crew, actors, and extras, and the indirect economic effect on other industries, such as restaurants, transport, hotels, and tourism, is immense,' he said.

A number of foreign movies, television shows, and advertisements have lately been filmed in Israel. The most noteworthy is a British series Homeland, about the lives of British soldiers during the Mandate." (source)