James Costos, Javier Aguirresarobe on Why Commissions Count
Anna Marie de la Fuente In a bid to further extend its Shooting in Spain brand around the world, the Spain Film Commission (SFC) began in 2018 to name prominent figures in the international entertainment biz as honorary ambassadors. Among them are former HBO executive and U.S. ambassador to Spain James Costos; director Terry Gilliam; actors Emily Blunt and Aitana Sánchez- Gijón; NBCUniversal executive Veronica Sullivan; DP Javier Aguirresarobe and Indian location manager Ramji Natarajan. Variety approached three of them to give their take on helping to promote Spain as a key destination for film-TV shoots and assess the challenges that remain. As the U.S. ambassador to Spain from 2013-17, Costos was laser focused on supporting U.S. studios’ efforts to find growth opportunities. However, despite the country’s many advantages, other European destinations offered better incentives and it was often outbid. Notwithstanding, some major productions landed, led by “Game of Thrones” and “The Bourne Identity,” while some U.S. studios began opening outposts in Spain. “During my tenure in Spain I welcomed HBO and Netflix, and others soon followed,” Costos recalls.