FILMING IN MADRID
Find out why filming in Madrid is becoming more and more frequent every day.
MADRID, CINEMATOGRAPHIC SPACE
The city of Madrid has everything you need for your film production.
For decades, film shoots in Madrid have been an important activity for the Spanish film industry and for the country’s economy in general. Spain has a great diversity of landscapes and locations very suitable for film shoots, from beaches and mountains to historic and modern cities, which have attracted numerous international directors and production companies to film their movies.
Shooting in Madrid is always a good decision, as it is a city that encourages any commercial activity, but in the case of film shoots, it is perfect due to its geographical location, its unbeatable communication with the rest of the Spanish provinces, its access to other auxiliary companies, production companies, actors, location companies, sound studios, post-production, animation and everything that an audiovisual production may need.
Below we have prepared an article with valuable information in case you are thinking of filming in Madrid.
VALUABLE INFORMATION IF YOU ARE THINKING OF FILMING IN MADRID
Here is some valuable information about Madrid, its places of interest, its neighborhoods, private filming locations and much more.
Table of Contents
The advantages of filming in Madrid
Madrid is surely one of the best cities to shoot a film, series or short film, as it offers everything a production company needs to carry out a project. The great “current” filming activity in Madrid certifies this and is increasing every day. These are some of the main advantages of shooting in Madrid:
Privileged location
Madrid is in the heart of Spain, which makes it an ideal location for filming. The city is easily accessible from other countries in Europe and the world, as it is served by the international airport “Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez”, which makes it ideal for international filming.
2. Connectivity and transport
It is a city very well connected with the rest of Spain, by road, train and local flights. In less than 5 hours you can be in any of the main capitals of Spain. Already within the city of Madrid, the Metro is a fabulous means of transport, by which you can cross the city in less than 40 minutes. In addition, its intercity bus network is very extensive, as well as its Taxi and Uber services. You will also find a multitude of car rental services, motorcycles and scooters.
3. Unique locations and varied styles
Madrid offers a variety of unique places to shoot. From the famous tourist sites and monuments to urban settings, of different social level, you can find places that transport you to a seaport (without having the sea nearby, eh!), to the City in London, or to a humble neighborhood in the Bronx. In this link you can see a list of unique places to shoot in Madrid.
4. Excellent facilities
Madrid has a wide range of first class filming facilities, such as film studios, editing rooms, dubbing, post-production, actors’ agencies, production companies, auxiliary companies and spectacular locations. The “Mecca” of Spanish cinema, for any professional wishing to shoot or produce in Madrid, because in Madrid you will find everything you need and much more.
In this link you can see a list of auxiliary companies to shoot in Madrid.
5. Excellent governmentalsupport
The government of Madrid greatly facilitates the business and promotional fabric of the city. If you are looking for a place to shoot your next film, series or short film, look no further! Madrid is the perfect city. In this link you can see a list of contacts for the processing of licenses for film shooting in Madrid.
LOCATIONS FOR FILMING IN MADRID
If you are thinking of shooting in Madrid, we can offer you a number of private locations where to shoot. Bright houses, luxury apartments, family villas, dream penthouses or open industrial buildings where you can recreate any situation you need to shoot. If you are looking for rural spaces such as country houses, agricultural facilities, village houses or rustic farms, we can also offer you these spaces.
Mythical places to shoot in Madrid
- Royal Palace
- Retiro Park
- Gran Vía
- Plaza Mayor
- Temple of Debod
- Cibeles Square
- Sabatini Gardens
- Puerta del Sol
- Prado Museum
- Thyssen Born Museum.
- El Capricho Park
- Plaza de España
- Liria Palace
- Mapfre Foundation
- San Miguel Market
- Puerta de Alcalá
- West Park
- Tio Pio Hill
- S. Bernabéu Stadium
- Metropolitano Stadium
- Neptune Fountain
- Atocha Station
- Chamartín Station
- Las Ventas Bullring
- Segovia Bridge
- Juan Carlos I Park
- Botanical Garden
- Amusement Park
- Royal Theater
Neighborhoods where to shoot in Madrid
Malasaña
Located in the north of the city, this is one of Madrid’s most emblematic neighborhoods. Known for its numerous bars, restaurants and art galleries, it is an ideal place for nightlife lovers.
Lavapiés
Located in the center of Madrid, this is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. You will find many international restaurants, bars and trendy stores.
Chamberí
One of the quietest neighborhoods in Madrid, Chamberí is an ideal place for those looking for a quiet life. Here you will find numerous stores, restaurants and cafes.
Chueca
Chueca is one of the liveliest and most cheerful neighborhoods in Madrid. It is full of bars, restaurants, stores and nightclubs. It is an ideal place for nightlife lovers.
Salamanca
Located in the southeast of Madrid, the Salamanca neighborhood is one of the most luxurious neighborhoods in the city. It is full of bars, restaurants, art galleries and luxury boutiques.
Retiro
Located in the south of the city, Retiro is one of the quietest neighborhoods in the city. It is full of museums and historic buildings. It has one of the largest urban parks in Madrid.
La Latina
It is one of the oldest and most characteristic neighborhoods of Madrid. It is located in the old part of the city and is full of historic buildings and places of interest, such as the church of San Andrés, the Plaza de la Cebada, the street of Cava Baja, the market of San Miguel and many more. It is an ideal place to stroll, have a drink or eat something typical of the city.
Carabanchel
It is a neighborhood of Madrid where you will find a multitude of types of buildings, low houses, residential buildings of the 70s and 80s, and of course, newly built buildings. It is located in the southern sector of the city, between the freeways M-30, M-40, A-42 and Vía Carpetana. It is very close to the Cuatro Vientos aerodrome. As places of interest, it has the Church of San Sebastian, the Hermitage of San Isidro or the Palace of Vistalegre, which is one of the most emblematic places of the neighborhood.
Barajas
Located northeast of the city of Madrid, which stands out for being next to the international airport Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas. But in addition to this, Bajaras has the Juan Carlos I park, which is one of the largest in Madrid, ideal for green scenes and shooting in open exteriors. In terms of architecture, the neighborhood has numerous historic buildings, such as the church of San Pedro Ad Vincula, which dates back to the 16th century, and the Casa de la Cultura de Barajas, which is an example of neo-Mudejar architecture. There are also several modern buildings, such as the Gloria Fuertes Cultural Center, which hosts exhibitions and cultural events.
Linear City
It is a neighborhood northwest of the city. It is an ideal place to shoot if you are looking for an industrial atmosphere, where workshops, offices, lofts and traditional housing coexist. It is possibly the neighborhood closest to becoming the trendiest neighborhood to live in, as you can find industrial lofts in the style of the New York neighborhood of Tribeca.
Aranjuez
Aranjuez is not a neighborhood of Madrid, but we have included it in our list of ideal places to shoot, because it is a small town in the south, 45 minutes from Madrid, connected by the suburban train network of Madrid and with many places that evoke different places and times. A place where shooting in peace and quiet and with a multitude of different spaces is possible. The Royal Palace, the Queen’s garden, by the way, the Calle (or road, I would say) de la Reina, is beautiful and very evocative to shoot in it, is next to the Tagus River, another place difficult to replicate in Madrid. As for ubanistic style, Aranjuez, and specifically the city center, has been declared a Historic-Artistic Area and has a baroque style. But if you move a little through its streets you can roll in places that will move you to any medium-sized European city, difficult to guess its location, very chameleonic…
Particular locations for filming in Madrid
As it could not be otherwise, we wanted to include in this page, a selection of our best private locations, to shoot in Madrid.
All of them are locations that we manage, if you want information about them tell us and if you need a particular type of location, do not hesitate to ask us here your request.
If you don't find what you are looking for, we can find it for you.
Although we are constantly adding new locations, you may not find what you are looking for. Tell us what you need and we will help you.
Official agencies that will help you in your filming
Here is a list of some of the official agencies in Spain in charge of managing permits for filming in public or governmental spaces, along with their contact information and a link to their website:
Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) (Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts)
ICCAA is an organization under the Ministry of Culture and Sport in charge of regulating and promoting cinema and audiovisual arts in Spain. On this page you will find information related to industry support, news, statistics and much more.
Website:
https://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/cultura/areas/cine/inicio.html
Telephone: (+34) 91 506 89 00.
Film Madrid
Film Madrid is the filming office of the Community of Madrid, in charge of facilitating and managing permits for filming in the city and the region of Madrid. In this link you can apply for permits to shoot in Madrid.
APPLICATION FOR PERMITS TO FILM IN MADRID
Also on this page you will find a list of exterior locations, such as streets, neighborhoods, towns, as well as state and heritage buildings.
OUTDOOR AND STATE LOCATIONS
FILM MADRID general website:
https://www.madrid.org/filmmadrid
Telephone: (+34) 91 276 95 03.
Madrid Film Office
Madrid Film Office is a public service of the Madrid City Council whose mission is to promote and assist production companies and professionals who choose Madrid to carry out their audiovisual projects. Very interesting this link where you will find tips and links of interest for filming in Madrid, things like, permit processing, restricted areas of Madrid 360, traffic cuts, services on public roads, filming on the move, etc…
https://madridfilmoffice.com/como-rodar-en-madrid/
Take a look at their page, full of valuable information:
https://madridfilmoffice.com/
phone: (+34) 913 184 588
FILMING IN MADRID. PRIVATE LOCATIONS
If you are thinking of shooting in Madrid, we can offer you a good number of private locations where to shoot. Bright houses, luxury apartments, family villas, dream penthouses or open industrial buildings where you can recreate any situation you need to shoot. If you are looking for rural spaces such as country houses, agricultural facilities, village houses or rustic farms, we can also offer you these spaces.
Films and Series shot in Madrid
And finally, and as proof of the production activity that Madrid has, I have compiled a large number of films that have shot some scenes in Madrid. The list is probably much longer, but with this compilation you can get an idea of the great activity that Madrid has in terms of film shoots.
Volver, Alta Films, Pedro Almodovar, 2006
Agora, Atípica Films, Alejandro Amenábar, 2009
The Life of Brian, HandMade Films, Terry Jones, 1979
The iron giant, Warner Bros., Brad Bird, 1999
Moulin Rouge, Bazmark Films, Baz Luhrmann, 2001
The Community, Why Not Productions, Álex de la Iglesia, 2000
The Others, Sogecine, Alejandro Amenábar, 2001
All About My Mother, El Deseo, Pedro Almodóvar, 1999
Everybody says I love you, Miramax, Woody Allen, 1996
Madrid 1987, El Deseo, David Trueba, 2011.
Breaking Dawn, Summit Entertainment, Bill Condon, 2011
Los lunes al sol, Sogecine, Fernando León de Aranoa, 2002.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fox Searchlight, Wes Anderson, 2014
Broken Embraces, El Deseo, Pedro Almodóvar, 2009
Talk to her, El Deseo, Pedro Almodóvar, 2002
The Good Night, Capitol Films, Jake Paltrow, 2007
Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Mediapro, Woody Allen, 2008
Death in Granada, Sogecine, Vicente Aranda, 2005.
Blade Runner 2049, Alcon Entertainment, Denis Villeneuve, 2017
El Crimen Perfecto (The Perfect Crime), Sogecine, Álex de la Iglesia, 2004
Todo lo demás, El Deseo, Pedro Almodóvar, 2009
Mean Girls, Walt Disney Pictures, Miguel Arteta, 2004
Charlie’s Angels, Columbia Pictures, McG, 2003
Calle 54, Universal Pictures, Fernando Trueba, 2000
The apple of your eye, El Deseo, Fernando Trueba, 1998.
Los amantes del círculo polar, Mediapro, Julio Médem, 1998.
Open Your Eyes, Sogecine, Alejandro Amenábar, 1997
Di que sí, Sogecine, Juan Luis Iborra, 1998.
The Blind Sunflowers, El Deseo, José Luis Cuerda, 2008
Mancora, Sogecine, Ricardo de Montreuil, 2008
My Best Enemy, Mediapro, Manuel Gómez Pereira, 2006
Fuga de Cerebros, Patagonik Film Group, Fernando González Molina, 2009
La habitación del pánico, Atípica Films, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 2001.
The 13 Roses, Sogecine, Emilio Martínez-Lázaro, 2007.
The Impossible, Apaches Entertainment, Juan Antonio Bayona, 2012
Easy Sex, Sad Movies, Atypical Films, Alejandro Agresti, 2006
The Limits of Control, Sogecine, Jim Jarmusch, 2009
The Orphanage, Sogecine, J.A. Bayona, 2007
Cell 211, Morena Films, Daniel Monzón, 2009
The Machinist, Filmax, Brad Anderson, 2004
The Oxford Crimes, Sogecine, Alex de la Iglesia, 2011
Pan’s Labyrinth, Picasso Studios, Guillermo del Toro, 2006
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Atypica Films, Tom Tykwer, 2006
El corazón de la tierra, Filmax, Agustí Villaronga, 2008
Return to Hansala, Sogecine, Imanol Uribe, 2003
The others, Sogecine, Alejandro Amenábar, 2001
The Day of the Beast, Sogecine, Álex de la Iglesia, 1995
La lengua de las mariposas, El Deseo, José Luis Cuerda, 1999.
Los dos lados de la cama, Sogecine, Emilio Martínez-Lázaro, 2005.
7 virgins, Sogecine, Alberto Rodriguez, 2005
Los amantes pasajeros, El Deseo, Pedro Almodóvar, 2013.
Torrente 4, Globomedia, Santiago Segura, 2011
Tres metros sobre el cielo, Antena 3 Films, Fernando González Molina, 2010
Broken Embraces, El Deseo, Pedro Almodóvar, 2009
Operation E, Mediapro, Miguel Courtois, 2006
La isla mínima, Atípica Films, Alberto Rodríguez, 2014.
The Witches of Zugarramurdi, Antena 3 Films, Álex de la Iglesia, 2013.
The bar, Atípica Films, Álex de la Iglesia, 2017.
The Infiltrator, Broad Green Pictures, Brad Furman, 2016
The Night Manager, The Ink Factory, Susanne Bier, 2016.
Pan’s Labyrinth, Picasso Studios, Guillermo del Toro, 2006
Skyfall, Eon Productions, Sam Mendes, 2012
The Other Side of the Wind, Lighthouse Pictures, Orson Welles, 2018.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Mediapro, Woody Allen, 2008
The Skin I Live In, El Deseo, Pedro Almodovar, 2011
Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados, Tornasol Films, David Trueba, 2013.
Los amantes pasajeros, Atresmedia, Pedro Almodovar, 2013.
To Rome with Love, Medusa Film, Woody Allen, 2012
The Last Days, Tornasol Films, David Trueba, 2013
The Impossible, Apaches Entertainment, Juan Antonio Bayona, 2012
Pain and Glory, El Deseo, Pedro Almodovar, 2019
The Good Night, Capitol Films, Jake Paltrow, 2007
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Tornasol Films, Terry Gilliam, 2018.
The New Pope, Wildside, Paolo Sorrentino, 2019.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Wes Anderson, 2014
Open Your Eyes, Sogepaq, Alejandro Amenabar, 1997
The Counselor, 20th Century Fox, Ridley Scott, 2013
The Laundromat, Netflix, Steven Soderbergh, 2019.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Pathé Renn Productions, Julian Schnabel, 2007
The Incredible Hulk, Marvel Entertainment, Louis Leterrier, 2008
Before Night Falls, Fine Line Features, Julian Schnabel, 2000
The Good Thief, Alain Sarde Productions, Neil Jordan, 2002