Filming in Corsica
Mountains dropping into the sea, empty roads, villages, coves. Corsica looks like a dozen countries and permits like France, with one difference: everything, from the camera truck to the catering, has to cross the water first. Here is how an island shoot works.
01
French permits, island logistics
The ruleCorsica is part of metropolitan France, so the permit logic is the one we use everywhere: authorisation follows ownership. The commune for streets and village squares, the Département for roads outside towns, the coastal and maritime authorities for the shore and the sea, the forestry office for state forests, the site managers of protected natural areas, and the DGAC and the prefecture for any drone. What changes is everything else: distance, freight, crew and season.
The island has its own film office, Corsica Pôle Tournages, created in 2002 by the Collectivité de Corse. It helps productions find locations, connects them with local location scouts and production managers, assists with administrative steps and trains local technicians so that more of the crew can be hired on the island.
We are a production service company working across France from Paris and Cannes. Corsica is run from our Riviera base: Zacharie plans the crossing and the unit, Élie files the permits from the mainland before anyone boards.
02
Who issues what in Corsica
Indicative, confirmed per projectLocationAuthorityLead time
Towns and villagesAjaccio, Bastia, Calvi, Bonifacio, hill villagesThe commune2 to 4 weeks
Roads outside townsMountain and coastal roadsThe Département's roads directorate3 to 5 weeks
Beaches, cliffs, seaProtected coast, filming from boatsThe coastal and maritime authorities, and the Conservatoire du littoral on its sites4 to 8 weeks
Nature reserves and protected sitesMarine reserves, protected islandsThe manager of each reserve, under its own rulesCase by case, often restrictive
State forestsMountain massifsONF, the national forestry office3 to 5 weeks
AirportsTerminals, apronsThe airport operator and the state services. The airport filming guide we have read asks for at least a month, more for restricted zones1 month +
DroneAny flightDGAC and the prefecture, always separate3 to 6 weeks
The ferry is the first call sheet
On the mainland, a missing light is a van trip to the rental house. On Corsica it is a ferry. Kit, vehicles and anything bulky cross from mainland ports by ship, and in summer vehicle space on the crossings books up long before a production is greenlit. We build the kit list as if nothing can be added after departure, carry spares we would never carry in Paris, and book the crossing the moment dates are firm. The island's own film office says it plainly: road travel is often slow and the boat adds cost. That is the budget line foreign bids leave out.
03
Getting there and moving around
Logistics01Four airportsCorsica has four airports, so crew and talent can fly in close to the location rather than crossing the island by road. We choose the airport by location, not by the cheapest flight.Crew
02Ferries for kit and vehiclesCamera, grip and lighting packages travel by sea from the mainland, or are hired locally where stock allows. No customs paperwork: Corsica is France.Kit
03Mountain roadsSpectacular, narrow and slow. A distance that takes twenty minutes on a map can take an hour with a camera car. Closures are filed with the Département.Roads
04Local crewLocal technicians where available, completed by Riviera crew from our Cannes base.People
04
The island calendar
Seasonal notesApril to JuneOur favourite window: green mountains, long light, open roads, crossings still easy to book.
July and AugustPeak tourist season. Ferries, hotels and roads full, beaches crowded, fire risk in the hills. Shoot only if summer is the story.
September and OctoberWarm sea, empty coves, good light. The second best window.
WinterSnow on the peaks, quiet coast, some services and crossings reduced.
The trap. A protected cove or islet that looks deserted is usually the opposite of available: marine and nature reserves have their own managers and some forbid landing or overflight outright. We check each spot before it goes on the board.
05
What shoots in Corsica
And how we run itMost of the island's international work is commercials and branded content: automotive on mountain roads, travel and tourism, outdoor brands, drinks and fashion against granite and sea. TV documentary and travel series come for the landscapes, the villages and the island's identity, where Élie's background matters as much as the permits: Corsica has its own language and a strong sense of what outsiders get wrong (see cultural counsel).
Combining Corsica with the mainland is common: a road day in the Alpes-Maritimes, a ferry, three days on the island. We run both legs from one plan, with the Provence and Riviera permits and the island files prepared together.
Do you need a permit to film in Corsica?
Yes, as anywhere in France, for anything beyond a handheld shot with no impact on the public. Permits follow ownership: the commune for streets, the Département for roads outside towns, the maritime and coastal authorities for the shore and sea, reserve managers for protected sites, ONF for state forests, and the DGAC and prefecture for drones.
Is there a film commission in Corsica?
Yes. Corsica Pôle Tournages, created in 2002 by the Collectivité de Corse, helps productions with locations, local scouts and production managers, administrative steps and local crew. We work alongside it as the production service company carrying the budget, crew contracts and logistics.
How do we get camera kit to Corsica?
By ferry from mainland ports for most packages, or hired locally where stock allows. Book vehicle space on the crossings as soon as dates are firm, especially for summer, and plan the kit list as if nothing can be added after departure. No customs formalities apply: Corsica is part of France.
When is the best time to film in Corsica?
April to June and September to October: good light, open roads and crossings that are still easy to book. July and August bring full ferries, crowded beaches and fire risk in the hills.
Can we film in Corsica's nature reserves?
Sometimes, under strict conditions. Each marine or nature reserve has its own manager and rules, and some forbid landing or overflight. We check every spot with the site manager before it goes on the board, and propose alternatives early when the answer is no.
Shooting in Corsica?
Send your dates, the locations on the island and the size of your crew and kit. We plan the crossing and the permits together.
Or email [email protected]. We reply within 3 hours.