Where to Shoot Next: The Evolving Global Production Landscape
As international production continues to evolve, the decision of where to shoot extends far beyond financial incentives. From workforce development and production infrastructure to local-language content, strategic partnerships, and emerging markets, what makes a destination attractive to today’s filmmakers? This conversation brings together international industry leaders to explore the changing global production landscape, the opportunities shaping regional competitiveness, and what producers should consider when taking their next project abroad.
Moderator:
Claire Brooks, Executive Director, Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI)
Speaker:
Kenneth Lim, Assistant Chief Executive, Marketing Group, Singapore Tourism Board
Richard Botto, Founder & CEO, Stage 32
Silvia Ruiz, Partner, EJASO
Speakers
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Claire BrooksExecutive Director, Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI)Claire Brooks is Executive Director of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), the global professional association representing film commissions and the screen production ecosystem across more than 40 countries. She leads AFCI’s strategy, industry partnerships and industry engagement, working across studios, streamers, independent producers and governments to strengthen the infrastructure that supports film and television production worldwide.
Brooks is also an independent film producer whose credits include Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness, which premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Previously, she helped develop and launch Netflix’s Emerging Filmmaker Initiative, supporting the next generation of filmmakers.
She is a 2026 Film Independent/Netflix Amplifier Fellow, a 2025–26 Women in Film Creative Producing Fellow, and a 2025 ELF Filmmaking Fellow.
Her work spans storytelling, production strategy, economic development and the institutions that enable ambitious creative work.
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Kenneth LimAssistant Chief Executive, Marketing Group, Singapore Tourism BoardMr. Kenneth Lim assumed the position of Assistant Chief Executive for the Marketing Group in June 2023. He oversees the building of Singapore destination brand globally and helms the marketing efforts of STB to international visitors. He runs the marketing efforts across the B2C (leisure) and B2B (MICE) businesses, and oversees global strategic marketing partnerships, strategic communications and marketing capability development.
Prior to this role, Kenneth was the Executive Director, Marketing Planning, Partnerships and Capability Development, from August 2022 to May 2023. In this capacity, he oversaw the Board’s marketing partnerships as well as alignment and integration of strategies, work plans and resources across the Marketing Group, and led the development of the marketing competencies of STB officers and industry stakeholders to help drive tourism growth.
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Rich BottoCEO, Stage 32Richard “RB” Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32, the global platform connecting and educating entertainment professionals and creating pathways for talent discovery. A WGA screenwriter, Sundance winning producer and actor, Botto brings firsthand experience in both the creative and business sides of the industry. He has produced over a dozen films including the Sundance award-winning Another Happy Day, written and directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, and After All, starring Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller. He has sold feature screenplays to production companies and an original television series to Amblin. Botto is also the author of Crowdsourcing for Filmmakers: Indie Film and the Power of the Crowd, published under the American Film Market Presents banner. A sought-after speaker and educator, he has presented at Cannes, Sundance, AFM and SXSW, and taught at Harvard, USC and Columbia. Her work spans storytelling, production strategy, economic development and the institutions that enable ambitious creative work.
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Silvia RuizPartner, EJASORepresenting the Provincial Council of Álava, Basque Country, Spain
Silvia Ruiz Moruno is a Partner at EJASO, an international law firm with a presence in Spain and Miami, specializing in Media & Entertainment, audiovisual production, film financing, intellectual property and tax incentives.
With extensive experience advising production companies, audiovisual professionals and entertainment industry stakeholders, Silvia focuses on the legal and financial structuring of film and television projects, international co-productions, production services and tax-efficient financing solutions.
Her expertise covers the entire audiovisual value chain, from project development and rights acquisition to production, financing, distribution and exploitation. She also advises on dubbing, audiovisual rights and the contractual and regulatory challenges facing the entertainment industry.
Working at the intersection of law, finance and the creative industries, Silvia helps international producers navigate Spain’s audiovisual incentive frameworks and identify opportunities to develop and produce projects across the country’s different territories.
At the American Film Market 2026, Silvia represents the Provincial Council of Álava, in the Basque Country, highlighting the territory’s competitive audiovisual tax incentives and its growing potential as a destination for international film and television production.
