California Film Commission director Colleen Bell on how Hollywood is recovering from a tough few years

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.