Madrid regional government co-funding Woody Allen's new film but it must feature Madrid' in the title

"The Madrid regional government is hoping to harness the power of film tourism by investing 1.5m (1.3m) in a new Woody Allen movie that will be shot in and around the Spanish capital and which will be contractually obliged to feature the word Madrid in its title. Regional authorities are confident the 89-year-old film-maker's next project could do for Madrid what Roman Holiday did for Rome tourism in the early 1950s, and what Sex and the City and Emily in Paris have more recently done to increase visitor numbers to New York and the French capital."

"The director, who recently published his debut novel, is believed to have struggled to source large-scale financing for his films amid the resurfacing in 2014 of an accusation that he sexually abused his daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992. The claim, which Allen has consistently denied, was originally made in the midst of a custody battle between Allen and Mia Farrow over Dylan and her brother, Ronan, was the subject of two investigations, which resulted in no charges being brought."

"The Madrid regional government evidently believes that buying into the director's name and legacy will pay considerable dividends. Woody Allen is one of the most multifaceted contemporary artists in the cinematic landscape, and has shaped one of the most original and highly regarded styles in film-making, the government said in a document published online this week."

Madrid regional government will invest 1.5m (1.3m) to co-finance a new Woody Allen film that must include the word Madrid in its title and be shot in and around the capital. Authorities expect the film to boost tourism, citing Roman Holiday, Sex and the City and Emily in Paris as examples of works that increased visitor numbers to cities. Allen's recent Europe-backed films include Rifkin's Festival (San Sebastian, 2020) and Coup de Chance (Paris, 2023). Financing challenges followed a 2014 resurfaced accusation of abuse from 1992 that Allen denies and which led to no charges.

Read at www.theguardian.com