Inclusion aims to transform tourist and natural attractions into settings for national and international productions
Eight new municipalities were announced by , a State Government body, and officially added to the state network of location cities that aims to attract executives and film producers to shoot films, miniseries and documentaries in the state of São Paulo. They are: Águas de Lindóia, Águas de São Pedro, Cubatão, Ilha Comprida, Mococa, Paraibuna, Presidente Prudente and São Carlos.
This initiative aims to strengthen and boost the local economy, projecting the interior and coast of São Paulo as highly competitive destinations for filming national and international audiovisual productions. Among the first eight cities selected in the Call for Selection of Cities-Location 01/2026, launched in December last year, are four tourist resorts (Águas de Lindóia, Águas de São Pedro, Ilha Comprida and Paraibuna), two Municipalities of Tourist Interest – MITs (Cubatão and Presidente Prudente), in addition to Mococa and São Carlos.
When selecting the cities, criteria such as historical and cultural relevance, tourist potential, regional diversity and the infrastructure available to receive productions of films, series, advertising, documentaries and other audiovisual content were considered. The distinction in profiles between the cities, which range from university centers, coastal resorts and strategic urban centers, expands the diversity of locations offered by the State of São Paulo to executives and producers, in addition to generating direct and indirect jobs during filming periods and even during subsequent visits.
There are already more than 50 cities registered within the Paulista Audiovisual Development Plan (News from the Audiovisual Industry Development Plan), which was launched at the Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival) in 2025, and the SP State Film Commission is one of its actions.
Lindóia Waters
Nestled in Serra da Mantiqueira, the resort is 161 km from São Paulo and belongs to the Circuito das Águas Paulista Tourist Region. It is known as the Thermal Capital of Brazil, and in addition to the waters, the city is notable for shopping tourism and the production of knitwear, knitting, wooden crafts, leather and homemade sweets.
St. Peter’s Waters
Belonging to the Serra do Itaqueri Tourist Region, the resort is located 187 km from the capital and has three sources of therapeutic water with sulfur in its chemical composition (Gioconda, Juventude and Almeida Salles). Another attraction in the city is the Grande Hotel São Pedro, with its art deco architecture.
Cubatão
Ecotourism is one of the strengths of Cubatão, a Municipality of Tourist Interest (MIT) located 66 km from São Paulo and belonging to the Atlantic Forest Coast Tourist Region. In addition to being home to a variety of fauna and flora, with vegetation ranging from mangroves to restinga, Cubatão has several waterfalls and trails.
Long Island
Located 209 km from São Paulo, the resort belongs to the Lagamar Tourist Region and has 74 km of coastline divided into several beaches, has dunes (such as Juruvaúva) and fishing villages full of caiçara calm, along its long and narrow territory. The Mar Pequeno, which separates it from the mainland, can be explored by catamaran, with dolphins as company.
Mococa
In addition to the historical and cultural attributes, rural tourism is one of the focuses among the attractions of Mococa, which is 263 km from São Paulo. Farms provide trails, waterfall baths, sport fishing, zip lining, at the same time as there are visits to trenches from the 1932 Revolution. Mococa belongs to the Raízes do Campo Tourist Region.
Paraibuna
Rural tourism, water sports, ecotourism and gastronomy are some of the attributes of Paraibuna, the resort that is 123 km from the Capital. Belonging to the Rios do Vale Tourist Region, the city is bathed by the Paraíba do Sul River (at the confluence of two other rivers that descend the Serra do Mar escarpment). Local leisure offers skiing, canoeing, sailing and a variety of fishing services.
President Prudente
Municipality of Tourist Interest (MIT) since 2025, Presidente Prudente is part of the Sol do Oeste Tourist Region and is 558 km from São Paulo. The so-called Capital of the West of São Paulo has great infrastructure, cultural centers, a zoo, a water park and has tourist attractions such as Parque do Povo, Casa do Artesão and the Historical Museum.
San Carlos
Belonging to the Serra do Itaqueri Tourist Region, São Carlos is 234 km from São Paulo and stands out for its cultural, ecological and scientific tourism. Among its attractions are the Science Museum and the Ecological Park, as well as historic farms that preserve the atmosphere of the coffee cycle, with centuries-old mansions.
SP State Film Commission
Managed by the Museum of Image and Sound of São Paulo (MIS-SP), the São Paulo State Film Commission acts as a logistical link between producers, public authorities and territories, promoting São Paulo as a competitive destination for national and international filming. The body also works to promote local audiovisual professionalization and encourage the creation of municipal Film Commissions.
The municipalities selected by the SP State Film Commission become part of a permanent program, committing to structuring service flows for productions, facilitating authorizations, supporting technical visits and organizing information about locations and local services. The initiative strengthens audiovisual as a vector of economic development, job creation and tourism promotion.
