Local development and cultural policies: measuring the economic impact of regional film commissions

In the last 20 years, regional film commissions and regional film funds have gained momentum in the policy arena. They are conceived as regional public organizations aiming to attract film producers through financial and logistic support. This effort is economically justified by the idea that producing films within the region can create jobs and increase tourism. The pervasive policy narratives around identifying the film industry as a driving factor for local development have brought more than 1000 regions worldwide to create their own film commission. However, very little robust empirical evidence on their economic impacts has been produced. This study assesses the regional film commission’s tangible impacts on Italian regions’ economies. We used an original dataset that combines the firm, employment, and tourism data with a self-administered questionnaire that we sent to regional film commissions established in each Italian region. Through the questionnaire, we collected information on the public funds awarded to the film industry in each region between 2005 and 2022. The results of the dose–response models show a significative impact on the local film industries and on tourism supply, while heterogeneous effects are found in related industries