Interview with Matteo Garnero, Head of Marketing at Genova Liguria Film Commission at Focus London 2025

At Focus London 2025, Fred Film Radio spoke with Matteo Garnero, Head of Marketing at the Genova Liguria Film Commission, about the close relationship between filming and tourism, what makes Liguria uniquely versatile on screen, and why international collaboration is key to the region’s ambitions.

A Film Commission as Storyteller and Facilitator

Matteo Garnero described the role of a film commission as having two main goals: first, helping productions understand why a region is worth filming in, and second, making sure that once they arrive, everything runs smoothly. Using Liguria as an example, he described the region as “a little Italy” in just a few kilometres, where productions can find mountains, sea, historic towns and modern cities without the need for constant travel. The commission’s job, he explained, is to take care of permits, hotels and logistics so filmmakers can focus entirely on creativity.

From Italian TV Hits to Hollywood Visitors

Talking about projects shot in the region, Matteo Garnero pointed to the popular Italian TV series “Blanca” as a recent highlight, while noting that several international productions — including a Netflix project — are currently in development but still under wraps. Looking further back, he recalled the excitement of hosting the Adam Sandler-led film “Murder Mystery”, describing the buzz of having Hollywood crews working across Liguria. His focus now, he said, is on attracting more international films and TV series, building on the region’s flexibility and growing reputation.

Focus London, Global Partnerships, and Big Dreams

Matteo Garnero stressed the importance of Focus London as a place where real connections are made, arguing that face-to-face conversations are far more powerful than emails and paperwork. He spoke enthusiastically about the newly signed agreement between Italian and UK film commissions, describing England as one of Europe’s strongest and most forward-thinking production hubs. Looking ahead, he expressed optimism about AI as long as clear rules are established, highlighted a major heritage-driven project in development linked to Liguria’s historic ties to early Hollywood and Walt Disney’s “Snow White”, and ended on an ambitious note: his goal is to move Liguria from the “B-League” to the “A-League” of global filming — with Hollywood majors firmly in sight, and, ideally, Scarlett Johansson directing or starring in a future Ligurian project.

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This interview was recorded during the Focus London 2025, in partnership with the Italian Film Commissions Association and with the support of the Italian Trade Agency