In this edition of the On Location podcast, we meet Colleen Bell, director of the California Film Commission.

She speaks with Julian Newby about her role at the Hollywood-based Film Commission, the impact of the six-Oscar-winning film One Battle After Another, and how the film industry across the Golden State is experiencing a revival after strikes and wildfires contributed to a downturn. She also talks about filming on location in California, which she describes as a “whole continent of locations in one state”. 

California was in high profile at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where American Pavilion held a special California Day highlighting the Golden State’s status as the world’s movie capital. 

At the event, Colleen Bell spoke about the newly extended California Film & Television Tax Credit Program, credited as playing a big part in the film industry’s revival there, following a tough few years. 

Since its introduction in 2009 – a year after the global financial crash – the Program has generated some $27bn of economic activity and supported over 210,000 cast and crew jobs across the state. For every dollar awarded through the Program, California has seen $24.40 in economic output, $16.14 in GDP and $8.60 in wages. 

This edition of the On Location podcast was recorded during the Cannes Film Festival at the landmark Carlton hotel.

Issues raised during the podcast are discussed in depth in the latest edition of Location California magazine, which is edited by Julian Newby and published in partnership with the California Film Commission.

In this edition of the On Location podcast, we go to Amsterdam to meet Sil Geurtsen and Daan Moonen, two key figures in the development of two of the latest entertainment shows to come out of formats giant EndemolShine Nederland, part of Banijay Benelux – Let’s Play Ball and The Bicycle Race.

In Let’s Play Ball, two rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across urban and rural locations; in The Bicycle Race, six celebrities team up with a partner, friend, or family member to compete in an epic adventure, completed entirely by bike; the first race takes place across India.

How do they choose the locations for these shows? Do local authorities or law enforcement ever say ‘No’? What size of crew is needed to follow these crazy races through towns, cities, forests and fields? What kinds of problem do the teams face while on-the-move, competing against rival celebrities?

Both shows have been created for Dutch channel SBS6 and are now being developed internationally.

At EndemolShine Nederland, Sil Geurtsen, head of programme development and Daan Moonen, executive producer, answer these questions and more …

 Let’s Play Ball… see the trailer here

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNalPThqAdH/

In this edition of the On Location podcast, Julian Newby meets director Paul Negoescu and Location Manager Andrei Stehan to discuss the Romanian-Bulgarian coproduction Atlas of the Universe,  which tells the story of 10-year-old Filip travels with his father to a nearby town to buy new football boots. When his father gets sidetracked by an old friend, Filip, played by Matei Donciu, has to make his way on his own. A mistake at the shoe shop – Filip was given two right shoes – triggers an unexpected adventure as he walks through the countryside to the big city in search of the left shoe. Along the way, he befriends a stray dog, who he names after his favourite football player; and he meets a young girl, Edith – played by Johanna Mild – who helps him to feel less alone in his quest. As he attempts to fix the error made at the shoe shop, Filip takes his first steps toward independence and growing up.

The film was shot in and around the Romanian town of Vălenii de Munte. It was produced by deFilm (Romania), in co-production with Screening Emotions (Bulgaria) and Avanpost Media (Romania). The production is supported by the Romanian Film Center, Romanian Government, Eurimages, the Bulgarian National Film Center, Magic Lab, CinemaCity, Magic Shop, Romanian Television and Upfar Argoa. International sales are with international agency Pluto Film. 

See the film’s trailer here

In this edition of the On Location podcast we meet veteran Location Manager, LA-based Robert Foulkes, who tells us how some of Crime 101s locations were chosen. In the movie, Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is a master jewel thief who specialises in meticulously targeted robberies, which take place along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. Ahead of what could be his biggest-ever heist, he teams up with disillusioned insurance broker Sharon (Halle Berry). Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) has spotted a connection to the 101 robberies and is determined to prevent the big one from happening.  

The film’s star-studded cast also includes Barry Keoghan as the psychotic biker Ormon; and Nick Nolte as the underworld fence, Money. 

Crime 101 is based on the 2020 Don Winslow novella of the same name, adapted by director Bart Layton – who chose both the super-wealthy areas of Los Angeles, as well as the gritty side of the city, as backdrops to the story – from Echo Park and West Hollywood, to the coastal areas of Venicee and Santa Monica. 

Watch this tour of Los Angeles with Robert Foulkes here

And see the film’s trailer here

Crime 101 is a production from Amazon MGM Studios, Raw, Working Title Films and The Story Factory, directed by Bart Layton. Hemsworth produces alongside Ben Grayson; who he worked with on 2025’s Chris Hemsworth: a Road Trip to remember. 

In this edition of the On Location podcast, Julian Newby meets Michael Glaser, supervising location manager on One Battle After Another. 

The film follows Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob, a permanently stoned former activist living off-grid in Northern California with his daughter Willa. Years after a radical political movement he once belonged to collapsed, Bob is drawn once again into a widening conflict as old allies and enemies resurface.

One Battle After Another explores how cycles of resistance, violence, and ideology repeat across generations. Michael Glaser talks about the challenges faced by his team, cast and crew, as the film traveled across the state of California, from the redwood forests and desert highways to borderlands and detention camps …

Watch the film’s trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feOQFKv2Lw4

One Battle After Another, behind the scenes on location https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAinlvxGvdA

Explaining the references to the TMZ: https://film.ca.gov/locations/la-studio-zones/

In this edition of the On Location podcast, Julian Newby meets luxury real-estate broker Billy Nash, host of the new global travelogue series Passport Properties. Billy is joined on the podcast by the series’ executive producer Leland Sandburg and together they talk about their cinematic journey through some of the world’s most extraordinary homes.

 But this is not just about wealth and luxury; the series also focuses on the culture, the history and people that shape the communities they visit. Nash’s storytelling and eye for design have earned him comparisons with Anthony Bourdain — using real estate, instead of food, as the lens to understand the world.

Passport Properties is set to be delivered in January 2026 with global distribution secured with Blue Ant Studios.

And meanwhile the series was introduced to international buyers at this year's MIPCOM, the annual international content market that takes place in October, in the city of Cannes on the French Riviera.

Multiple Emmy-winning Netflix series Adolescence will be talked-about for years to come. The script, by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and the performances by Graham and a brilliant ensemble cast are remarkable in themselves. But it’s director Philip Barantini’s one-camera, one-take method that has really kept the industry and viewers talking. 

In this edition of the On Location podcast,  Julian Newby meets supervising location manager Tom Bartram, nominated for an LMGI Award for his work on the series; and director of photography Matt Lewis, who won an Emmy for this extraordinary piece of work. In Matt’s words: “For all of us it’s kind of a highlight of our lives.” Sit back and they will tell you why…

Andy Fry is senior reporter on Location International, the world’s longest-running publication that looks at location shooting for film and television production around the world. The 2025 edition launched at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025. In this On Location podcast, the magazine’s editor Julian Newby speak to Andy Fry about his location tour of Europe

Andy Fry is senior reporter on Location International magazine, the world’s longest-running publication that looks in detail at location filming around the world. The 2025 edition launched at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025. In this On Location podcast, the magazine’s editor Julian Newby speak to Andy Fry about his location tour of the UK

The Liverpool Film Office and the city’s Local Visitor Economy Partnership have been working together for almost two years on a campaign to attract more film and TV production into the city. Liverpool already claims to have hosted more productions in 2024 than any other UK city outside London – and massive titles including The Batman and Fantastic Beasts have been happy to film there. For this podcast Julian Newby spoke with Kevin Bell from the Liverpool Film Office and Pamela Carrol, head of marketing at the Local Visitor Economy Partnership, about their campaign. He also spoke to film producer Barrington Robinson about why he loves filming in the city