The projects, which involve a bigger investment than the Algarve International Race Circuit, will be spearheaded by the municipal company Portimão Turis and by the actor Joaquim de Almeida who was in Cannes (France) to present the promoters to the bosses of American and European film companies.

According to Luís Carito, the president of Portimão Turis, the two facilities represent a total investment of 750 million euros, 550 million to erect the fun park and 200 million for the film production complex.

The fun park is thus one of the project’s biggest components, for which the theme will be “the history of cinema and the world of cars”, the vice president of the local authority added.

A site of some 150 hectares close to the Algarve Race Circuit will house the “Media Park” which, he disclosed, was being negotiated with the American company Universal Studios which already has theme parks in Hollywood, Orlando and Japan.

For its part, CBS Paramount is interested in the film studios and the vice-president of the company was present at the presentation of the project in Portimão.

For Luís Carito, the project known as "Picture Portugal" seeks to create a new vision of film production in Portugal, not only to create facilities that do not exist at present in the country but also to provide the tools to stimulate the industry.

Although the project provides for 11 studios, only two will be built by 2010. The first phase of cinema development also envisages that audio and video post-production areas will be created, as well as outdoor stage sets and a watertank, a pool the size of a football pitch equipped with a giant screen for filming aquatic and underwater sequences.

The project has already applied for support under the second phase of PROVERE (Programme for the Economic Enhancement of Indigenous Resources) but according to Luís Carito, it depended essentially on private initiatives.

The local leader said that the plans already existed but financing and tax incentives were still being negotiated.

Luís Carito also said that, for the moment, the objective was to attract producers and directors to the Algarve.

Crisis not affecting the investment capacity of the film industry

The actor Joaquim de Almeida, one of the main faces of the film production complex "Picture Portugal", admitted today that the project was ambitious but he pointed out that the crisis was not affecting the major studios.

The most international of Portuguese actors told the Lusa Agency that the cinema was making more money than in previous years and that it had the capacity to invest.

They are still looking for less costly productions which, according to Joaquim de Almeida, is where Portugal can play its trump card. He said that the cinema law in Portugal was very favourable, salaries were competitive, there was an enormous variety of scenery in a small country and an excellent climate, it was just necessary to create the right conditions.

The actor Joaquim de Almeida said that they were looking at a project which promised to revolutionise the cinema industry in Portugal.

He said that there was everything that was needed, all that was missing was a major, quality studio so that the Algarve could attract big productions.