The Puglia Region is renewing its investment in film and television production with €5.45 million allocated to the Apulia Film Fund 2026, reinforcing the region’s strategy of using audiovisual production as a driver for investment, employment and territorial development.
Approved by the Regional Council, the measure falls under the Cohesion Agreement of the Puglia Region – Rotation Fund 2021–2027. Of the total allocation, €5 million will finance the new edition of the Apulia Film Fund, while another €450,000 has been set aside for technical assistance.
Management of the scheme will once again be entrusted to the Fondazione Apulia Film Commission, which will act as the Intermediate Body on behalf of the Region.
The new funding is designed to strengthen the competitiveness of Puglia’s audiovisual supply chain, attract further national and international production investment and promote the region’s cultural and landscape heritage through film and television.
Building Puglia’s Audiovisual Ecosystem
That strategy has been developing for nearly two decades. According to Apulia Film Commission, more than 850 audiovisual projects were shot in Puglia between 2007 and 2025, while its Production Guide now brings together more than 5,800 professionals and over 400 companies. Alongside financial support, the Commission provides services including location scouting and operates an infrastructure network that includes the Cineporti, the Mediateca Regionale Pugliese and the Apulia Film House.
Recent Film Fund results also help explain the Region’s decision to continue investing. Across the 2024 and 2025 editions, more than €18 million was directed into the sector. The 2024 edition supported 66 productions, while the 2025 call received 93 applications.
According to Regione Puglia, funded and shortlisted projects from the two editions are associated with more than €48 million in estimated direct expenditure, an overall economic impact exceeding €96 million and approximately 1,380 shooting days across the region.
For Silvia Miglietta, Puglia’s Councillor for Culture and Knowledge, however, the impact of production cannot be measured through investment alone. She stressed the importance of strengthening training opportunities for local crews and ensuring adequate contractual protections, arguing that the sector’s long-term growth depends on creating stable and qualified employment in the territory.
What Comes Next for Producers
The Apulia Film Fund 2026 therefore arrives as part of a broader industrial strategy rather than as a standalone production incentive. For producers, service companies and audiovisual professionals, it represents another potential entry point into a regional ecosystem combining funding, local crews, production services and locations.
The €5 million allocation for the new call has now been confirmed, although the detailed Apulia Film Fund 2026 call has not yet been published. Companies interested in applying should therefore monitor the official channels of Apulia Film Commission and Regione Puglia for the forthcoming guidelines, eligibility requirements and application timetable.
Read more: Shooting in Apulia
