“The White Lotus”, “Emily in Paris”… The number of film shoots is exploding on the Côte d’Azur and local actors are rubbing their hands

Do you know The White Lotus ? This ultra-popular HBO series, which reveals the daily life above ground of guests of a luxury hotel and whose first seasons took place in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, has set down on the Côte d’Azur for its fourth season.

Between the Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez and the steps of Palace of Cannes Film Festivalpour ªtre exact.

This is also the case forEmily in Paristhe series retracing the journey of an American woman in the world of fashion, exiled in the French capital and who lingered, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat et Saint-Tropez.

Two big successes which illustrate the attractiveness of the Côte d’Azur in terms of film direction and production.

Predominance of TV series and streaming platforms

According to the Alpes-Maritimes Côte d’Azur Film Commission, these are 1,480 days of filming which were recorded in 2025, between feature films, fiction and platforms. The year 2025 also marks a turning point with the blatant predominance of TV series and productions intended for broadcast platforms. streaming. These fictions alone represent more than eight months of presence in the field.

Among the flagship titles, we include, in addition to Emily in Paris (season 5) for Netflix, Rally 82a mini-series retracing the story of Michèle Mouton, the only woman in history to have won a world championship rally, for HBO Max.

Seven feature films, including Le Mage du Kremlin by Olivier Assayas, life story of Vladimir Putin’s eminence grise and Le Rêve américain d’Anthony Marciano.

A geography for all tastes

How are production distributed across the territory? “Between the coast and the hinterland, there is no fixed rule, confirmed Camille Feret, responsible of the commission. Currently, two projects are being filmed in the hinterland, notably in Sospel. HAS”

What often comes up, she continues, is “ ce striking contrast between the glamor of the Riviera and, just 20 minutes or an hour by car, completely preserved countryside or high mountain landscapes “, continues the director of the Alpes-Maritimes Film Commission, whose mission recently was to find a farm with dairy cows.

She adds: “The productions play a lot on this duality, and we work a lot to open the doors of directors beyond the coast. »

Growth engine for the local economy

Beyond cultural prestige, the sector asserts itself as a major economic pillar for the department. The direct impact reached 52 million euros in 2025, including remuneration, set rental and significant logistics expenses.

The accommodation sector is benefiting massively from this growth, with more than 28,000 nights generated by the production teams. Near 10,800 jobs for technicians, actors and extras were created in the year 2025 alone.

If we add the indirect benefits linked to image and tourism, the overall impact for the region is estimated at more than 120 million euros. How is the territory organized?

He remembers it like it was yesterday. “For a six-minute scene, they stayed a month and a half”. Jean-Philippe Mari is a member of l’association de cinéma Cinéospela local association which brings the 7th art to life in this small town in the Menton hinterland. « You’re amusing, he remembers, all the stores were surrounded. HAS”

It was 2024 and the blockbuster américain Heads of State had as a setting for its opening scene a square in Sospel supposed to represent a small Spanish village, Buñol, in the middle of the tomato throwing festival, La Tomatina.

The production, which should have initially shot the scene in Hollywood, had to face the strikes by writers and actors in the United States. Forced to relocate the scenes to France, she was seduced by the village square, decorated with a baroque church.

In the region, extras had been recruited, local artisans were called upon, the entire production occupied hotels and restaurants.

In all700 peoplehalf of the extras and technicians in charge of the sets, were present at the height of filming. “There were a few moaners because the center was blocked and an entire parking lot had been requisitioned. But overall it was very positive.”remembers the Sospelois.

Filming offices

To put oil in the wheels, they are oftendedicated services within town halls which help with local monitoring. “We rely on a solid network: more than thirty municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes are members of our association.”continues Camille Feret who observes a real professionalization of the sector.

Cities like Nice or Cannes have their own reception desks. The commission also developed a “filming guide” to help elected officials and municipal agents manage the reception from A to Z, by establishing a clear framework to reconcile the needs of the film and the lives of residents.

For 15 years, the city of Vence has had a filming office. At the helm, Corinne Korchia supports: “You know, filming can block traffic and disturb local residents. For complex files, we work in conjunction with the prefecture. »

The original purpose of the office ? Promote the promotion of the municipality and promote its heritage and tourist assets by facilitating the work of film crews. The historic city, the Col de Vence and the Matisse chapel are particularly in demand.

« Decor chips »

The film commission ensures daily census work. “Our team travels to locate public places (streets, churches) or private places (houses, hotels) and creates detailed decor sheets », explains Camille Féret.

In these sheets, we find photos and crucial logistical information such as accessibility for trucks or distance from amenities. This data is then published on Locations Film France, “ a national platform where our decors rub shoulders with prestigious places such as the Château de Versailles ».

Also appreciated by foreign productions, France has a crédit d’impôt international très efficace (30 to 40%) and, above all, “ a technical workforce of exceptional quality “, continues the head of the Commission.

Territoire caméléon

“Certain scenarios simply cannot be played anywhere other than here”says Camille Feret. The diversity of landscapes, which oscillate between the Riviera coast and Alpine reliefs in less than an hour, offers a unique geographic flexibility in the world. “Approximately 10 to 15% of requests concern locations that are not supposed to be the Côte d’Azur on screen.â€she continues.

So, Cannes and Antibes served as a setting to simulate Los Angeles in the movie The Substance with Demi Moore. Sospel played a Spanish village, the port of Nice represented Trieste, and Théoule-sur-Mer, Croatia. A processing capacity which represents a major asset for attracting international productions seeking to optimize their transport costs. How series boost tourism

It was in the summer of 2023, just after the release of an episode of the series Emily in Paris filmed in Villefranche-sur-Mer. The small seaside town so popular with Riviera residents then had to deal with a massive arrival of American tourists. It was in fact in her station that we saw the American heroine get off, during a getaway in the south-east of France.

Cocteau ChapelVillefranche harbor, Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferratthe places where Emily in Paris was filmed have since been listed on the website of the Tourist Office which invites travelers to follow in its footsteps.

The territory, an asset

“80% of foreign tourists exposed to French fiction say that it made them want to come to France.”notes the CNC in a study entitled « Impact of cinema and fiction on tourism » published in 2024. And one in ten took the plunge and made the decision to visit France following watching a film or series.

“The most viewed films are Amélie Poulain et Untouchables »notes the CNC which cites Lupin series side. Among the nationalities most receptive to French productions, we find the Spanish, the Chinese and the Americans.

A wide distribution which is explained in particular by the development of SVOD (subscription video on demand). “For all of the tourists surveyed, this incentive power lies in the ability of fiction, whether French or foreign filmed in France, to convey a very positive image of France (91%) and present it as an interesting country To visit (93%) »continues the CNC.

And note: ‘‘anchored’ in the territory: they speak of the place where they are filmed, which was not always the case before ».

Dedicated tourist offers

Dedicated tourist offers emerge : filming circuits, derivative products or immersive experiences, like the initiatives put in place around Emily in Paris.

The territories, particularly in the southern region, have “bien compris l’interêt” of these benefits, underlines the CNC, supported by systems such as the international tax credit (C2I), this French tax system which allows foreign productions to benefit from partial reimbursement of their expenses when they film in France, under certain content and budget conditions.

A credit to which the American blockbuster Heads of State has also resorted to setting its scene in different places on the Côte d’Azur.

Flow management

If the tourist impact in the hinterland remains marginal, although the places are increasingly popular for productions, certain towns have long been victims of their success.

In France, this is the case‘Etretatfor example, assailed by visitors since the broadcast of the series Lupin. To the point of having to close access to coastal paths or beaches, accidents multiplying with the influx of tourists. Not to mention the limestone cliffs which crumble under their feet.

A situation already mentioned by the city of Saint-Tropez An episode was also shot hereEmily in Paris. Faced with this growing pressure, local authorities are now trying to anticipate the effect “blockbuster” by sometimes limiting the promotion of certain fragile sites.

Because if the 7th art boosts the economy, it also requires rethinking the reception of visitors to protect the essential: the very integrity of the landscapes which attracted the directors in the first place.