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It was at the Palácio Estoril Hotel that George Lazenby, then replacing Sean Connery, filmed On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, his only appearance as the famous secret agent. In this 1969 film, with Cascais as its backdrop, James Bond tried to stop Ernst Stavro Blofeld from carrying out a plan to hold the entire world hostage. Now, the town may once again become a setting for the big screen – and a creative hub for filmmakers from around the world.
The new international film production company Open Cities has set up in Cascais with the ambition of creating new conditions for the development of independent works. It combines film production with a project accelerator (an intensive programme designed to speed up the development of film projects, startups or careers), within a structure created to support directors from the development stage through to the completion of their films. The creators behind the project are former Sundance Festival CEO Joana Vicente, who has also worked with the Toronto International Film Festival and the Gotham Institute, and her partner, Oscar-nominated producer Jason Kliot. They founded the company together with WarnerMedia executive Tony Gonçalves and Portuguese businessman and investor Filipe de Botton.
The origins of Open Cities are closely linked to the experience Joana Vicente accumulated over several years working with filmmakers and leading institutions in the sector, but also to her experience of “closely following the evolution of independent cinema”, she explains to Time Out Cascais. “I’ve had the opportunity to support thousands of artists and witness both the extraordinary creativity that exists and the structural challenges filmmakers face today, from financing to distribution,” she says.
At the same time, the company emerges at a moment of technological transformation in the audiovisual sector that is opening up new creative possibilities. Vicente points to her experience in the early 2000s, when she and Jason Kliot founded one of the first digital production companies in the United States. “Using that emerging technology allowed directors to work with smaller teams, more flexible budgets and a much more agile production process.” Open Cities is based on the belief that “we are once again at a moment when technology can help unlock a new and ambitious wave of independent cinema”. The goal is to help filmmakers without major resources make “ambitious” films that “might otherwise be considered too complex or too expensive to produce”, she explains.
To achieve this mission, the company will operate in a slightly unconventional way: “We are building an integrated model that combines a film project accelerator and a production company.” This model allows them to accompany directors from the final stages of development through to production itself.
The accelerator will bring together directors, producers and technology specialists in a collaborative environment designed to test new production tools. Even so, the focus remains firmly on artistic work: “The guiding principle is very clear: technology should empower artists, never replace them. The director’s voice always comes first.”
Backdrop: Cascais
The decision to base the project in Cascais was influenced by the fact that, in recent years, Portugal – and particularly the Lisbon and Cascais region – has quietly become one of the most dynamic international meeting points for “creativity, entrepreneurship and technology”, says Joana Vicente. At the same time, the region offers conditions that do not always exist in major film industry centres. “It’s a place where artists can step away from the noise of the industry and focus on developing their work.”
The aim is to build a company with global reach but local roots, “bringing filmmakers from around the world to work in Portugal, while also contributing to the growth and international visibility of the Portuguese creative ecosystem.”
For now, Open Cities is not yet working on any feature films or series, focusing instead on launching its first development programme. “At the moment our main focus is launching the first Open Cities Accelerator, which will soon open for applications,” she explains. The programme will select a group of fiction feature film projects that are already in development. Over several months, the teams will work on refining their scripts, production strategies and the integration of new creative tools. “The programme will culminate in an in-person residency in Portugal, where teams will be able to develop prototypes of elements of their films and prepare the projects to move into production.” Some of these films may later continue their journey with Open Cities as producer.
Although it is an international project, the connection to Portuguese cinema is part of the company’s vision. “Working with Portuguese filmmakers is extremely important to us,” says Joana Vicente. For the company, Portugal has a significant cinematic tradition and a new generation of directors that deserves attention. “Our goal is not only to bring international artists to the country, but also to create real exchanges between local and global talent.” The accelerator was designed precisely with this meeting logic in mind. “Filmmakers from different countries working side by side, sharing ideas, approaches and experiences. Very often it’s from that convergence that the most interesting work emerges.”
The role of AI
At a time when artificial intelligence is raising many debates within the industry, Open Cities intends to promote what it calls “responsible use”. “Concerns about artificial intelligence in the creative industries are real and understandable,” acknowledges Joana Vicente. However, she believes these tools can play a useful role if used to support the creative process. “When we talk about responsible use, we mean something very clear: technology must remain a tool in the hands of artists. It should expand creative possibilities, not replace human creativity. In practical terms, this means using new tools to help filmmakers experiment earlier in the development process, prototype their ideas, plan complex productions more efficiently and make ambitious films viable within independent budgets. The story, the creative vision and the director always remain at the centre of the process.”
In a context where many projects “fall through” due to a lack of resources or adequate structures, the company hopes to help unlock some of those ideas. “Today, many independent filmmakers have bold ideas that end up being considered impossible within traditional production structures. If Open Cities can help unlock even a portion of those projects – films that might otherwise never be made – that will already be extremely meaningful.”
The long-term vision always looks to the future of the seventh art. “Over time, we would like it to become a meeting point for filmmakers from all over the world. A place where artists, producers and technicians come together to experiment, collaborate and build the next generation of independent cinema.”