Production guide 2016 - Comisión Fílmica Colombiana

CREATE
Production guide 2016
CREATE
Production guide 2016
1
president’s office of the
republic of colombia
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón
President of the Republic of Colombia
María Lorena Gutiérrez Moreno
Presidency Minister
Enrique Riveira Bornacelli
Private Secretary
ministry of commerce,
industry and tourism
Cecilia Álvarez Correa
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
2
proimágenes colombia
Claudia Triana de Vargas
Director
Yolanda Aponte Melo
Administrative and Finance Director
Juliana Ortiz García
Planning and Projects Director
Andrea Afanador Llach
FDC Programs Director
Carol Andrea Jaime Morales
Operations Deputy Director
Jaime Abello Banfi
Delegate of the President of the Republic of Colombia
Paula Jaramillo del Corral
Producer’s Representative –CNACC
Adelfa Martínez Bonilla
Film Office Director
production guide
editorial committee
Alberto Quiroga
Jennifer Lucía González
Texts
Sandra Howard Taylor
Vice Minister of Tourism
proimágenes colombia promotion and film
commission
Gina Astrid Salazar
General Secretary
Silvia Echeverri Botero
Director
Karol Fajardo
Director sector analysis and promotion
Juliana Arias Ardila
Promotion Executive
ministry of culture
Lina María Sánchez Castro
Promotion Executive
Eric Schwartz
Sally Station
Translation
Mariana Garcés Córdoba
Minister of Culture
Mauricio Tunaroza Romero
Promotion Coordinator
Lip Ltda.
Concepto y diseño
María Claudia López Sorzano
Vice Minister of Culture
Diego Iriarte Merchán
Promotion Assistant
Impresol Ediciones
Impresión
Enzo Rafael Ariza Ayala
General Secretary
Laura Pineda Suárez
Promotion Assistant
Impreso en Colombia
2016
colombian film promotion
committee – cpfc
ISBN: 978 - 958 - 58849 - 2 - 2
Adelfa Martínez Bonilla
Film Office Director
Adriana González Haessig
Film Office Advisor
procolombia
María Claudia Lacouture Pinedo
President
Ricardo Vallejo Moreno
Exports Vice President
Andrés La Torre
Export Services Manager
Cecilia Álvarez Correa
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
Mariana Garcés Córdoba
Minister of Culture
María Claudia Lacouture Pinedo
Procolombia President
Mauricio Reina Echeverri
Delegate of the President of the Republic of Colombia
Lina María Sánchez Castro
Investigation and Editorial Coordination
Gonzalo Castellanos Valenzuela
Juan Carlos Tavera Castillo
Legal and Technical texts
Lucía González
Copy Editor
Contenido
Where?
General Information ............................................. 18
Colombia’s general infrastructure ….................... 21
Regions
Hello!
Colombia, Where Movies Happen ........................ 5
Wow!
Law 1556 Cash rebate 40% - 20% ........................... 7
Value Added Tax (IVA) Rebate ............................… 7
Incentive to encourage audiovisual
Production in Medellín …....................................... 7
Why?
Colombia’s Audiovisual Sector …............................ 9
Infrastructure for Audiovisual Production .......... 10
Here!
Testimonials …....................................................…... 13
Films Shot in Colombia with the
40%-20% Rebate Incentive ….............................. 14
Other films produced with the
40%-20% cash rebate …...................................…... 16
Bogotá: The Nation’s Capital …............................ 24
Caribbean Region …............................................... 27
Central Andean Region …..................................... 29
Southern Andean Region …................................... 31
Eastern Region …................................................... 33
Amazon Region ….................................................. 35
Special Locations …............................................... 37
Colombia’s National Parks ...............................… 40
Land of Mega- Diversity ….................................... 42
How?
Visas …..................................................................... 45
Permits Authorizations …...................................... 45
Customs …............................................................. 46
Hiring Personnel …............................................... 46
Taxes …................................................................... 47
Insurance …........................................................... 48
Help!
Film Commission Services …................................ 51
Staff ......................................................................… 51
Contact ................................................................... 51
Photography ........................................................... 51
3
hello!
4
Behind the scenes, “Pacific”
Colombia, where
movies happen
By Claudia Triana de Vargas, director of Proimágenes Colombia
Three years ago we celebrated the passage of Law 1556. The new law created
a production incentive that has made Colombia one of the most attractive and
interesting destinations for international film production in Latin America. With
the incentive, productions shot in the country, if they use the services offered
by Colombia’s film industry, can receive cash rebates for 40% of film services
expenses and 20% of expenses for logistics services, considered exports of services
by Colombian companies.
This cash rebate has helped spread the word that Colombia is a perfect destination
for audiovisual production. With our still little-known yet enormous natural and
cultural diversity, our increasingly skilled human resources, and our ever more
developed technical infrastructure, it is clear that Colombia is ready to compete
with any other incentives available internationally. No wonder that since the law
was passed, nineteen projects have identified Colombia as an ideal location for
shooting their films; eight of these have already completed the process and have
received their cash rebates.
These figures reveal significant achievements and speak for themselves: we can
see international productions’ growing confidence in the efficient implementation
and real accomplishments of the incentive, as well as in the talent and technical
capabilities available in Colombia. The goal we set for ourselves more than three
years ago is now a reality, which has provided enormous satisfaction and learning
opportunities to the technical and creative personnel working on these productions.
The nine films shot this year were made at locations across the country, including
Bogota, Medellin, Santa Marta, Bahia Solano, Anapoima, and Cartagena. These
films are “Love & Coffee” and “The Abduction of Jocelyn Shaker”, co-productions
between Colombia, the United States, and Argentina; “In the Name of the Son,”
a French TV movie produced for the Arte network; “The Lost City of Z,” a U.S.
production with an all-star cast featuring actors such as Robert Pattinson; the U.S.
film “Mena,” starring the world-famous three-time Oscar nominee Tom Cruise;
and “The Belco Experiment,” also from the United States. Other films shot in
Colombia this year include the Argentinian productions “Pacifico,” with a primarily
Colombian cast; “Perros” (“Dogs”), starring the Colombian-American actor
John Leguizamo and directed by Colombian filmmaker Harold Trompetero; and
“Tiempo Muerto” (“Dead Time”), written and directed by Victor Postiglione.
As part of their reports for the global film industry about Law 1556 and the filming
infrastructure available in Colombia, international media outlets such as Variety
and IndieWire visited the country to tour television and film sets and experience
firsthand the production facilities in place here. During their weeklong visit,
reporters toured these facilities and had a chance to appreciate local culture in
Medellin, Bogota, and Cartagena. In Cartagena, they attended the 55th edition of
the Cartagena International Film Festival, featuring Colombian and international
filmmakers from more than 12 countries.
All of these achievements were made possible by the commitment and continued
efforts of countless stakeholders in the Colombian audiovisual industry. Key
support has been provided by the Colombian government, private companies
offering their film services (64A Films, Caracol, Cinempresa, Dynamo, Fox
Telecolombia, La Ventana Films, and Patagonia Films), the creative talent involved
in each of these productions, the hotel industry, and local municipal governments.
Our website, www.locationcolombia.com, continues to be an invaluable resource
for our international audience, providing filmmakers from around the world with
the documents and requirements needed to apply for the incentive, an image bank
where they can view and evaluate potential locations for their projects, and a
directory of local businesses offering film services.
Of course, we have to mention that all this is also possible thanks to Colombia’s
cultural wealth and the variety of its landscapes, which continue to provide an
amazing backdrop for filmmakers and producers from around the world. We are
eagerly awaiting the stories that will be told here in 2016.
Here, in the country where movies happen.
5
wow!
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Still Photography, “Narcos”
Law 1556 Cash rebate 40% - 20%
Colombia offers a cash rebate or cash reimbursement for films partially or totally
produced in Colombia (long feature films, TV movies with a broadcast of up to 2
episodes, documentaries and animation). 40% for “film services” (services related
to audio-visual pre production, production or post-production including artistic and
technical services) and 20% for “film logistics services” (those that are provided for
hotel, catering, and transportation) of the amount spent in the country.
The cash rebate applies to services provided by Colombian entities or persons
that are domiciled or residing in the country. It will be paid with resources of the
Colombia Film Fund (FFC for its Spanish acronym), a financing instrument or
account created in 2012 with funds from the General National Budget.
Basic requirements
• The project in question shall entail expenditures in film services or film
logistics services of approximately USD 400,000.
Project approval
Submitted projects that meet the above requirements shall be evaluated by CPFC to
determine whether they comply with the purposes of Law No. 1556. Considering
the fact that Colombia Film Fund -FFC has limited resources, at the moment of the
respective meeting, a decision is reached as to which of the total submissions shall
receive reimbursement and in what amount.
Value Added Tax (IVA) Rebate
International audiovisual productions may obtain IVA tax reimbursement for
services purchased in Colombia since the Colombian Tax Statute (Article 481,
Paragraph E) declares all export services exempt from this tax; this includes
services provided in the country under a written contract and used exclusively
outside the country by companies or persons with no business or activities in
Colombia, as per requirements listed in the regulation.
• The project shall be submitted by its producer, a legal person; that is to say, a
To be eligible for this exemption, a contract must be stated between the service
exporter and the contractor and the corresponding record must be kept by the
exporter as proof of the transaction.
(CPFC for its Spanish acronym) according to the purpose of Law 1556: To
develop Colombia’s film industry, as well as promote tourism and the
country’s image.
• The project shall entail total or partial filming in Colombia. As for animated
work, this item refers to carrying out production work in the country.
• The producer shall sign a contract stipulating the obligations, conditions, and
requirements for the reimbursement to be given and the amount thereof.
• Film services for non-national projects shall be contracted through one or
several Colombian film services companies (previously registered at the Film
Office of the Ministry of Culture).
• The funds for use in services shall be administered by a trust established in
Colombia, through an administration trust or standalone trust.
• Lastly, in order for the reimbursement to be disbursed, there must be approval
by an auditing company established in Colombia, which shall also be engaged
by the producer. The expert opinion, certificate or report issued by the auditing
company shall be sent directly to the administering entity.
This contract must contain the following certified information:
• The contracted service must be used entirely and exclusively
outside Colombia.
• The amount of the contract or amount to be reinstated. (In Colombian
pesos – COP and foreign currency).
• Declaration that the contracting company has no business or activities
in Colombia.
• That the service is exempt according to Article 481 of the Tax Statute.
• That no withholding tax applies for any income from exports as per Article
366-1 of the Tax Statute.
www.locationcolombia.com/Incentives
company or entity with legal authority to operate.
• The project will be evaluated by the Colombia Film Promotion Committee
Easy application
• Request to the Colombia Film Promotion Committee - CFPC through the
submission of the project to Proimágenes Colombia (Administering entity).
• Proof of the existence and legal representation of the production company.
• Description of the project, total budget and financing information.
• Detailed budget of the project showing expenditures that will be paid in
Colombia for film services and film logistics services.
• Deposit of Guarantee: An allocation, as insurance, in the amount of around
USD 10,000, which shall be returned to the producer at the end of the contract
that is signed if its project is accepted and complies with the requirements
mentioned above.
Incentive to encourage audiovisual
Production in Medellín
The Medellin Film Commission launched an incentive that will rebate 15% of the
costs of movies that are shot in the city. The incentive can be used in addition to
the benefits provided by Law 1556. With this program, Medellin hopes to become
one of the most attractive destinations for international productions that are
filmed in Colombia.
Find more information about shooting in Medellin at www.filmmedellin.com.
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why?
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Still Photography, “Dead Time”
Colombia’s
Audiovisual
Sector
Television
Audiovisual production in Colombia is booming. The Colombian television
industry successfully exports shows –especially soap operas– to over eighty
countries around the world including “Betty la Fea” (“Ugly Betty”), one of the
biggest hits on international channels, to a number of continents and is now a
constant source of programming for the Latin US market.
Various international companies are currently producing projects in Colombia.
These include the Canadian production company NBC, which made episodes of the
series “Covert Affairs,” and the U.S. company Gaumont International Television,
which has produced the first and second seasons of the “Narcos” series for Netflix,
the world’s leading internet television platform.
More than five years ago, the company Fox International has set up offices in
Colombia and now has its own filming studios in Bogota, where it produces
internationally broadcast series.
Advertising
The country´s advertising industry has taken solid root over the past few decades
and in past years several Colombian production houses specializing in production of
spots on Colombian locations have begun to produce for international clients whose
spots air in many different countries.
The world´s largest advertising agencies including McCann Erickson, Leo Burnett,
J. Walter Thomson and others have operated in Colombia for over thirty years.
More than thirty local agencies produce for national and international clients.
Approximately twenty production and preproduction advertising companies operate
in Colombia - some of them specializing in production for international brands
and agencies.
Film
The Colombian film industry has grown by leaps and bounds over recent years.
Proof of this is that 2015 was a record-breaking year for the country’s film industry
in several areas – number of admissions, box office receipts, and the number of
releases of Colombian films.
During the first half of 2015, the number of admissions grew by 30.5%, which was
also reflected in box office receipts in pesos. Compared to 2014, box office earnings
increased by approximately 60 billion pesos in just the first half of the year. With
good reason the country is experiencing a steady growth in the number of movie
theaters, with approximately 1,000 digital screens by 2016, including several 4D
theaters in major cities like Bogota, Cali, Barranquilla, and Villavicencio.
While these unprecedented figures give reason for optimism regarding Colombian
filmgoers’ behavior at theaters, Colombian productions have also received rave
reviews from critics worldwide and have done exceptionally well at the most
prestigious film festivals in the world.
For example, Ciro Guerra’s “Embrace of the Serpent” won the Art Cinema Award,
the highest award in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, granted
by the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (CICAE). The award supports
the distribution of the winning film throughout a network of 3,000 associated
theaters in Europe, the United States, Africa, and Latin America. This Colombian/
Argentinian/Venezuelan co-production also won Best Director at the Fénix IberoAmerican Film Awards, a prize it shared with Chilean director Pablo Larraín for his
film “The Club.” “Embrace of the Serpent” went on to earn the prize for Best Film
at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and was nominated for the 2016
Film Independent Spirit Awards in the United States in the Best International Film
category. These awards led the Colombian Academy of Film Arts and Sciences
(ACCAC) to choose “Embrace of the Serpent” to represent Colombia and compete
for a nomination in the Best Foreign Film category at the 2016 Oscars. Colombian
director Ciro Guerra has already taken two Colombian productions to the preselection stage at the Oscars – “The Wandering Shadows” (2005) and “The Wind
Journeys” (2009).
Two other Colombian productions that were screened at Cannes also highlight
Colombian cinema’s recent string of accomplishments: Cesar Acevedo’s “Land and
Shade” was awarded the Caméra d’Or for Best First Film, the highest award ever
won by a Colombian film, and was chosen by the ACCAC to seek nomination for
the Best Ibero-American Film category at the Goya Awards. Meanwhile, José Luis
Rugeles’ “Alias María” launched its tour through the international festival circuit by
participating in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. “Alias María” also took
part in the Directors’ Debuts Competition at the 23rd Camerimage International
Film Festival in Poland and won the Carmel prize for Best Film at the Haifa
International Film Festival in Israel.
In Brazil, at the tenth edition of the Sao Paolo Latin American Film Festival, the
Colombian/Mexican co-production “Liveforever,” by Dynamo and Ithaca Films,
won the award for Best Latin American Co-Production, one of the festival’s highest
honors. Inspired by the novel of the same name by cult author Andrés Caicedo,
the film began 2015 by taking part in the Official Selection at the Sundance Film
Festival and went on to win the Best Ibero-American Cinematography Award at the
30th Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG).
At the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, Colombia was represented by the
film “Violence” in the Forum section. Director Jorge Forero’s debut film was
produced by Burning Blue, the same independent film production house that won
with “Land and Shade” at Cannes. Colombia had a second film representing the
country at Berlinale’s official selection – the short film “Camino del agua” (“Water
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Path”) by Carlos Felipe Montoya, in the Generation section. This Colombian short
also took part in the official selection at the Seattle International Film Festival
(SIFF), the largest film festival in the United States.
Finally, for the icing on the cake, in 2015 ten projects were approved to receive
the 40%–20% cash rebate incentive created in Colombia by Law 1556, which
supported the shooting of films from the United States, Argentina, Spain, France,
and Colombia. As a result of these film shootings, around 15 million dollars of
services were exported and more than 1000 Colombian actors, technical personnel,
and creative staff were hired in these productions. The movies were filmed in
several cities and regions of Colombia, including Bogota and nearby areas;
Medellin; Fredonia; Santa Fe de Antioquia; Barranquilla; Cartagena; Santa Marta;
Parque Tayrona National Park; Cienaga; and Bahia Solano on the Pacific coast.
Infrastructure
for Audiovisual
Production
10
Crews
There are many independent and freelance workers in Colombia employed as
department heads, technicians and production personnel, many with extensive
experience in international co-productions.
The country boasts many talented individuals experienced in television production
and co-productions. Colombian film crews are known for their enormous
commitment, hard work and resourcefulness. There are no audiovisual unions at
this time, or fixed rates for services or labor. There are a number of Colombian
associations working to ensure the wellbeing and development of the
audiovisual industry.
Talent
Colombian talent is highly prized throughout the world and has met with enormous
success on the international market. Some of the best known actors include Sofía
Vergara, known for her work in the television series “Modern Family” and “Men
in Trees”, Catalina Sandino, who starred in “Twilight Saga: Eclipse”, “Che” and
“Love in the Time of Cholera”; Paola Turbay, whose credits include “Royal Pains”,
“Cane” and “Love in the Time of Cholera”; Martina García known for “Homeland”
“Biutiful”, and “Operation E”, and Manolo Cardona, who recently played a role
on “Covert Affairs”. Each of them has charmed US audiences with their talent and
charisma. Juana Acosta, star of “Carlos” and “Hospital Central”, and Angie Cepeda,
outstanding in “Los Protegidos”, “Fuera de Lugar” and “Love in the Time of
Cholera” have earned solid recognition in Spanish-speaking markets.
Television series like “Ugly Betty” and “Café”, written by screenwriter Fernando
Gaitan, have achieved great success in countries around the world. And Hollywood
has bid for the rights to remake several recent Colombian films.
Special Effects
Several companies in Colombia focus exclusively on physical special effects and
have extensive audiovisual production experience.
These companies can produce the most commonly requested special effects such as
body shots, suspensions and fire and rain. They also have experience in designing
unconventional effects to meet specific production needs.
Arms collectors with accredited experience in television, films and advertising
spots can provide audiovisual productions with technical, theoretical and practical
knowledge in the handling and use of arms.
Stunts
There are several stunt companies in Colombia. They have experience in the field
of stunt work and have developed 100% of the action scenes filmed for the national
industry in recent years while adhering to international safety protocol.
Sound Stages
Most sound stages are located in the city of Bogotá. The largest of these covers
16,000 square feet (1,487 square meters). Other companies have studios ranging
from 3,500 square feet (325 square meters) to 10,000 square feet (929 square
meters). There are warehouses throughout the country available for productions that
require large spaces.
Post-Production
Digital post-production studios have been operating in Colombia for many years.
In 2012, a multinational laboratory with headquarters in Chile, Mexico, Brazil and
Argentina started opened its doors in Bogotá.
• Digital/VFX Composing: Software: Flame, Flint, Smoke, After Effects,
Mocha, Nule.
• 3D Animation: Stereoscopic post-production.
• Final Cut: Units equipped with 4:4:4 technology used in HD SR format.
• Screening room and 4K color correction: Assimilate Scratch and Tangent
Theatrical Mastering modules for 4K color correction. Side by side screening
with a Sony 4K digital projector. Specially designed software for data
composing from SD to 4K.
• Tape Room: Duplication and conversion of all SD/HD, HD SR formats.
• Master conforming: Delivery to all formats and distribution under
international protocols.
• Sound: Dolby 7.1 accredited sound mixing facilities. Audio postproduction,
dialogue editing, ADR and Foley facilities, dubbing, sound special effects,
voice casting and sound design for film, documentaries, spots, television and
web content. Independent sound designers, sound editors, re-recording mixers
and music composers.
• Production Sound: Digital recording in 2 or 4 channels, Sennheizer booms,
wireless monitoring systems and everything needed for any film or HD shoot.
Multi-channel digital equipment, boom microphones, lavalier, plant, on-set
monitoring and digital delivery.
Equipment Rental
Several equipment rental houses provide high-end technology gear in Colombia.
Qualified technicians are trained continuously in operation and support of newly
acquired equipment. Many technicians speak fluent English.
• Digital camera: Alexa Studio, Plus 4:3, M, Plus and EV, Phantom Flex and
Gold, Sony F-65, F-3, F-23, F-900, F-950, F-700, EX-3, Canon 500, 300,
5D, 7D PL/EF.
• Data Recorders: Codex, Gemini RAW, Cinedeck, AJA Ki Pro & Mini.
• DIT carts: On-set color correction, effects and compositing, syncing,
download, trans-coding, backup and same day dailies on Ipads. Metadata
feeding options into original material. Reference monitors, LTO, CalDigit,
Mac Pro, PC, etc.
• Film camera: Arricam Lite, 435 X-Treme & ES 3 & 4 Perf, 416 & SRIII,
Moviecam Compact, Aaton.
• Optics: Complete factory sets of Hawk V-Lite, Cooke 5/i, S4/i, Master, Ultra &
Digi primes, Macros, Swing & Shift, Innovision, Optimo & Alura zooms, etc.
• Lighting: Full line of Arri, Kinoflo, Dedolight, K-5600, SoftSun, Lightning
Strikes, Litepanel, accessories, silent generators & power distribution.
• Camera Grip: Milo and Modula motion control, stabilized and standard 3 axis
wireless and wired remote heads, Technocranes, Fisher, Panther and Equipment
dollies & jibs, Tyler helicopter mounts, camera-cars and tow dollies, ATVs,
motorcycles, bicycles.
• Transportation, 3-5-10-ton grip-trucks; camera trucks and vans; 4-wheel
vehicles; motor homes and trailers.
Administrative Services
National and multinational companies in Colombia can be consulted for all tax,
legal and exchange questions. They also provide film insurance for all audiovisual
productions inside Colombia.
Information regarding companies and crew is available in the Colombian Film
Commission’s service directory: www.locationcolombia.com/Directory
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here!
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Still Photography, “Dogs”
Testimonials
“Working in Colombia was an absolutely amazing experience
that exceeded my expectations in every way. Like most
Americans, I had drawn an inaccurate assumption of what it
would be like. I have worked in many places in my producing
career and found it to be among the easiest in which to work,
and the quality of life I enjoyed there was unparalleled. I have
no doubt that, should the incentive continue, Colombia is well on
its way to being among the premiere filmmaking centers in the
world. It reminds me very much of working in Toronto in 1995.
You could feel that something great was happening.”
Eric Newman, Producer of Narcos
“In this movie, our crew, it’s got to be 97% Colombian. It’s
me, two actors from the States, and the producer who was here
for a couple of days at the beginning to sort of make sure that
everything was kicking off well. Basically, this movie is made
by Colombians. This may go down as a co-production, but it
is a Colombian picture in a lot of ways and we’ve been blessed
to have a terrific DP and a terrific production designer; all the
camera team and the crew have just been stellar.”
Conor Allyn, Director of the TV movie Abduction of Jocelyn Shaker
I usually film around the world, and if there aren’t major
security problems, I try to do it where the script says. And this
story took place in Colombia. The incentive process is attractive
and is promoted very well by Proimágenes. Also, we found a good
ally in 64A Films.
Pierre Javaux, Producer of In the Name of the Son.
I think we have to take advantage of the desire that exists here
to build the industry. I’m convinced that in Latin America we
can do great things, and I think today Colombia is a pioneer in
its desire to build its film industry – what other countries say but
don’t do. I believe we must seize this moment: if we want to do
things in Latin America, I think Colombia is a great place
to do it.
Gonzalo Gutiérrez, Director of Pacifico
Since I filmed “Paraiso Travel” and “Love in the Time of
Cholera,” I’ve seen the crews here evolve a lot. There is a lot of
talent and experience. The skill level is the same as in the U.S.
There is expertise in every field: camera operators, costumes,
special effects, etc. The strength of Colombian cinema is its
creativity, which is incomparable because it is unique. Colombian
artists, whether writers, directors, or actors, are always inventing
and creating worlds. Their imagination never runs dry.
John Leguizamo, Actor in Dogs
“We were shooting in a place called Santa Marta in one of the
jungles up there, and it was one of the craziest experiences I’ve
ever had. Colombia is so different to what I know and every
aspect of the country is different to England and I loved it. I
loved the culture and the food and the coffee was amazing.
The place that we were was stunning and it really was quite an
amazing experience to film out there.”
Tom Holland, Actor of Lost City of Z in an interview by Edward Douglas
for Coming Soon
13
Films Shot
in Colombia
with the
40%-20%
Rebate Incentive
During 2015, ten films were shot in Colombia with the 40%-20% rebate incentive.
For more information, please visit:
www.locationcolombia.com/Produccionesinternacionales
Abduction of Jocelyn Shaker
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Director: Conor Allyn
Production Company: Marvista Entertainment, Caracol Television, Snap TV.
Locations: Bogota and surroundings, Colombia.
Cast: Kathleen Rose Perkins, Kamar de los Reyes, Marcela Mar.
Synopsis: American Caitlin Shaker has gotten remarried to Javier Moreno, a
successful Colombian businessman who adopts her daughter Jocelyn Shaker as
his own. María Jiménez, a business woman and Javier’s good friend, has worked
closely with him and helped him build his business for years. María invites
Caitlin and Javier to a hotel restaurant to offer Javier the chance to participate in a
promising new investment, and presents her proposal to them. No one imagines that
a peaceful weekend at a resort on the outskirts of Bogota will become a nightmare
when little seven-year-old Jocelyn disappears from the hotel. From that moment on,
Caitlin will tirelessly fight to discover her daughter’s whereabouts.
Dead Time
Director: Victor Postiglioni
Production Company: Sinema
Production Service Company: Patagonia Films
Locations: Bogotá, Colombia.
Cast: Guillermo Pfenning, Maria Nella Sinisterra.
Synopsis: Franco loses his girlfriend Julia, a promising young journalist, to a fatal
car accident in downtown Bogota. Days after her death, Franco, on the verge of
suicide, discovers that Julia had been investigating the strange case of an elderly
man with an amazing gift: he can help people bring back a loved one who has
passed away so they can experience a memory together and say their goodbyes.
These moments together are called “dead times.” Franco’s investigations lead him
to discover that the dead times are not a myth and he tracks down the mysterious
old man. When Franco decides to travel back in time through a memory to save
Julia, he soon realizes that Julia misused one of these dead times, inadvertently
altering the course of her own life.
Dogs
Director: Harold Trompetero
Production Company: Sinema
Production Service Company: Patagonia Films
Locations: Bogotá and Facatativa, Colombia.
Cast: John Leguizamo, Alvaro Rodríguez, Marianela Sinisterra.
Synopsis: Dogs tells the story of Misael, a farmer who ends up in his village’s
jail for committing a crime of passion. During his confinement, he is not only
abused and humiliated by the guards, intimidated and cheated by other inmates
but also blamed and forgotten by their loved ones. Misael, in his loneliness and
abandonment, finds warmth, tenderness and complicity in Sarna, the prison’s
female dog, with whom he develops a close friendship.
In the Name of the Son
Director: Olivier Peray
Production Company: Pierre Javaux Productions
Production Service Company: 64A Films
Locations: Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta and
surroundings, Colombia.
Cast: Lola Naymark, Pascal Demolon, Nelson Camayo.
Synopsis: Twenty-year-old Étienne disappears while traveling in Colombia. His
father Michel, who works as a welder in the shipyards of Saint-Nazaire, decides
to set out to find him. But Michel has never been out of his country, doesn’t speak
Spanish, and knows nothing about a situation over which he has no control. As
he swings back and forth from helplessness to euphoria, Michel follows the path
taken by his child and discovers who he truly is through the eyes of the people
he meets along the way ... He meets Charlie, a young woman who takes him
to various spots frequented by young foreigners. They end up in Tayrona Park,
where Michel later finds out that his child is immersed in Colombian nature,
learning about and living alongside the Kogi indigenous people. Their emotional
father-son reunion will lead them to confront and solve their problems, but above
all, to understand each other and discover how much they have in common.
Love & Coffee
Director: Adam Silver
Production Company: Marvista Entertainment, Caracol Television, Snap TV.
Locations: Medellín and Fredonia, Colombia.
Cast: Anna Hutchison, Nicolás Rincón, Taliana Vargas, Julián Arango.
Synopsis: Zoe Walker is a food engineer working at a coffee chain in the United
States. After creating a new coffee flavor, she travels to Colombia to find a
good, affordable supplier. Through her search, she finds her way to a farm in
Colombia’s Antioquia province, where she meets the farm’s owner Diego Valdez.
Even though it has the best coffee in the region, the farm is not covering its costs
and Diego is on the verge of bankruptcy, forcing him to sell his coffee at any
price he can get. Zoe intends to take advantage of this situation, but Diego is only
willing to sell her his coffee if she helps out with the harvest. By the time the crop
is harvested, love has bloomed between the two, but Diego makes a mistake that
leads Zoe to return to the United States, where he will have to follow her if he
wants to win her back.
Mena
The Lost City of Z
Director: Doug Liman
Production Company: Cross Creek Pictures
Production Service Company: Dynamo
Locations: Medellín and Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jesse Plemons, Domhnall Gleeson.
Synopsis: Set in the 1970s, “Mena” is the true story of Barry Seal, a pilot with
TWA Airlines who is recruited by the CIA and soon finds himself heading up
one of the largest covert CIA operations in the history of the United States. This
operation led to the birth of the Medellin Cartel and precipitated the Iran-Contra
scandal, revealing the corruption permeating U.S. government agencies in the
1970s and 80s and the lack of cooperation and communication between them.
As a result, people like Seal were able to create an immense smuggling and drug
trafficking network stretching from Latin America to the United States, right
under the noses of government authorities.
Director: Doug Liman
Production Company: Cross Creek Pictures
Production Service Company: Cinempresa
Locations: Santa Marta, Tayrona Park, Don Diego River, Ciénaga,
Colombia and Belfast.
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson.
Synopsis: “The Lost City of Z,” based on the biographical book of the same
name, recounts the story of British Colonel Percy Fawcett, who was sent by his
government to map the border between Brazil and Bolivia, in the heart of the
never before explored Amazon jungle. During his successful expedition, Fawcett
meets Tadjui, an indigenous guide who tells him about an ancient civilization
deep in the jungle with gold monuments and massive structures. After World
War I, the Colonel and his son embark on a new expedition to find that superior
culture hidden in the Amazon, the city known as “Z.” But Fawcett and his son
never return.
Pacific
Director: Gonzálo Gutiérrez
Production Company: Sinema
Production Service Company: Patagonia Films
Locations: Bogotá and Bahía Solano, Colombia.
Cast: Maria Nela Sinisterra, Marlon Moreno, Brayan Moreno, Manolo Cardona.
Synopsis: A group of adventure-hungry young travelers stumbles upon a remote
village on Colombia’s Pacific coast. When the group hears rumors of a secluded
island where white people may not set foot, they ignore the villagers’ warnings
and undertake the dangerous voyage. On the island’s volcanic sand beach,
surrounded by lush vegetation, the young travelers grow closer amidst a paradise
that seems to be just for them. But they are not alone: they learn that the island’s
inhabitants have manipulated them to satisfy the hunger of an alien being that
dwells on the island, in order to prevent his rage from crushing their village. In
their desperate struggle for survival, the dark sides of each of them will emerge.
Yet they must overcome their conflicts if they are to escape with their lives from
the paradise that has imprisoned them.
The Belco Experiment
Director: Greg McLeon
Production Company: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Production Service Company: Itaca Films
Locations: Bogotá, Siberia, and Madrid, Colombia.
Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Michael Rooker, David Dastmalchian.
Synopsis: A group of U.S. expats comes to work at Belco Industries on the
outskirts of Bogota, Colombia. At the beginning of a normal day at work, the
factory is mysteriously sealed off and the employees begin to talk about the
security implants that have been inserted into the back of their necks. A voice
over the speaker system orders them to kill each other. Amidst the confusion, no
one does anything. Suddenly, some of the employee’s heads explode, and they
realize that the devices in their necks are actually bombs. From that moment on,
a wave of violence is unleashed that will eventually reveal the true nature of each
of the Belco employees.
The Making of Pope Francis
Director: Patrick Reams
Production Company: National Geographic Channel
Production Service Company: Foxtelecolombia.
Locations: Bogotá, Colombia.
Cast: Kepa Amuchastegui, Juan David Agudelo, Andrés Ogilvy,
Andrés Arambury
Synopsis: A documentary film about Jorge Bergoglio’s dramatic journey from his
humble beginnings in Argentina to becoming the first Jesuit and Latin American
pontiff in history, with a mission to restore the integrity of the Catholic Church
and awaken the faith of millions. The film tells the redemptive story of how
Bergoglio defied his family’s expectations and gave up a future as a doctor to join
the priesthood, where he rose rapidly through the ranks until becoming the leader
of the Jesuit order. The film also describes how painful life experiences brought
him to a remarkable transformation, paving the way for Bergoglio to emerge
years later as the “Bishop of the Slums.” As a bishop, his radical positions would
earn him new enemies at the same time as they set him on the road to the Vatican
and his identity as Pope Francis.
15
16
Other films produced with the
40%-20% cash rebate
1973), who worked on a cocoa plantation during the final years of the Spanish
colony, the politically turbulent era that ended Guinea as a colony and gave way
to the dictatorship.
Blunt Force Trauma
The 33
Director: Ken Sanzel
Production Company: Blunt Force Trauma LLC
Production Service Company: 64A Films
Locations: Bogotá and surroundings
Cast: Freida Pinto, Ryan Kwanten y Mickey Rourke
Synopsis: Set amidst a deadly game and its underground fights, the film depicts
Jhon and Colt’s intense desire to eliminate Zorringer, one of the most skilled
opponents in these bouts. The two characters feel enormous attraction while they
work toward their goal. But the ever-present possibility of death means that their
relationship is in constant jeopardy.
Director: Patricia Riggen
Production Company: Phoenix Pictures
Production Service Company: Dynamo
Locations: Nemocón y Zipaquirá, Colombia.
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Martin Sheen, James Brolin, Jacob
Vargas, Juan Pablo Raba, Oscar Nuñez, Marco Treviño.
Synopsis: Based on the true story of the 33 Chilean miners whose rescue from
the San Jose mine in Chile in 2010 captured the world’s attention. “The 33”
dramatizes the event from the perspective of the miners below ground and their
families and rescuers above the mine.
Corazón de León
The Boy
Director: Emiliano Torres
Production Company: Sinema S.A
Production Service Company: La Ventana Films
Locations: Bogotá, Santa Marta
Cast: Maria Nela Sinisterra, Marlon Moreno, Brayan Moreno, Manolo Cardona.
Synopsis: This film recounts the love story between Juana Caicedo, a lawyer who
has been divorced for three years, and León Sanabria, an extremely charismatic
architect. Everything begins when Juana hurls her cell phone away after a heated
argument with her ex-husband, and Sanabria decides to recover it and call her to
return it. During their conversation, the two characters feel enormous empathy
and arrange to meet at a cafe. When they meet, Juana finds a man that she didn’t
expect, and from then on she must overcome society’s prejudices and her own in
order to give into love.
Director: Craig Macneill
Production Company: Spectre Vision
Production Service Company: Dynamo
Locations: Santa Fe de Antioquia.
Cast: David Morse, Jared Breeze, David Valencia, Mike Vogel, Rainn Wilson,
Zuleikha Robinson, Bill Sage, Aiden Lovekamp, Amalia Santa Maria.
Synopsis: Based on a Sundance short film and envisioned as the first chapter in a
trilogy about a serial killer’s childhood, “The Boy” is a terrifying, surprising and
poignant portrait of a young sociopath whose lack of love drives him toward the
most dangerous emotional places.
Narcos
Director: Jose Padilha, Guillermo Navarro
Production Company: Gaumont Intenational Television
Production Service Company: Dynamo
Locations: Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín.
Cast: Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Pedro Pascal
Synopsis: This TV movie, based on true events, charts the growth and spread of
drug cartels around the world and the efforts made by governments, including
those of the U.S. and Colombia, to fight this scourge.
Palm Trees in the Snow
Director: Fernando González Molina
Production Company: Nostromo Pictures S.L
Production Service Company: Dynamo
Locations: Santa Marta, Cesar, Bahía Solano
Cast: Adriana Ugarte, Mario Casas, Alain Hernández, Berta Vásquez.
Synopsis: The film tells the story of Clarence: when her father, Jacobo, dies, she
decides to investigate his past by traveling to Guinea, where he lived for 20 years.
In parallel, the film recounts the story of Jacobo and his brother Kilian (1953-
Zambo Dendé
Director: Ricardo Gabrielli
Production Company: 7GLab Sucursal Colombia
Production Service Company: Fox Telecolombia
Locations: Bogotá
Cast: Mario Zaror
Synopsis: New World, Fourteenth century. A small, provisional slave-trader’s
camp is illuminated by the radiant light of a full moon that serves as witness to
what appears to be another ordinary night. Four guards celebrate an apparent
victory without realizing that within just a few hours, one of the slaver’s filthy
intentions will unleash the fury of justice. With African songs, the slaves will
invoke the presence of a liberating phantom, who will answer the call of the
oppressed who are crying out for equality.
where?
17
Still Photography, “Pacific”
San
Andrés
General
Information
Caribbean
Sea
Colombia’s Geographic Location
Panamá
Barranqui l la
Car tagena
Venezuela
18
Medel lín
Pacific
Ocean
Bogotá
general information
Cal i
Official Name
Republic of Colombia
Capital
Bogotá,
7 M inhabitants
Population
Brasil
Ecuador
47,4 M inhabitants
(77% urban, 23% rural)
(2013)
Economic growth (2014)
4,6 %
Inflation
3,66%
(2014)
Exportaciones
US $54,795 Million
(2014)
Imports (2014)
US $64,028 Million
IED
US $16,151 Million
(2014)
Literacy rate
92, 1%
Currency Perú
Minimum wage /month
Colombian Peso (COP)
(2014)
US $230
Source: Banco de la República (Central Bank), Procolombia and DANE.
Flight Times from Bogotá to other
important cities around the world and
time zone
París
10:30 hrs.
Toronto
6 hrs.
Nueva York
5:30 hrs.
Los Ángeles
7:30 hrs.
Madrid
10 hrs.
Miami
3 hrs.
Ciudad de México
4:30 hrs.
Bo go t á
19
Sao Paulo
5:45 hrs.
Santiago
5 hrs.
Buenos Aires
6:10 hrs.
Comparison
State of
California
USA
423,971 km
(163,6 96 s q. m)
2
Colombia
France
1,141, 7 4 8 k m 2
(440,83 1 s q. m )
6 7 5, 4 1 7 k m 2
( 26 0 , 7 80 s q. m )
20
Climate
Population
Because it´s a tropical country, the four seasons don’t´ exist but any climate
can be found at any time, depending on the region, whether you´re looking for
extremely cold mountain weather or steamy temperatures found in river valleys
and along ocean coastlines.
Colombia is the third most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and
Mexico. 77% of its 45.2 million inhabitants live in cities and 23% live in
rural areas.
Seasons
There are two basic seasons during the year: winter, or the rainy season, and
summer. But many cities and regions – depending on their altitude – enjoy
climates similar to those of spring and autumn in other parts of the world.
Daylight
Located in the tropics along the Equator, days in Colombia are almost the same
length all year round: dawn breaks around 6:00 a.m. and the sun sets
around 6:00 p.m.
Language
Spanish, along with sixty-eight other languages spoken by around eighty indigenous groups. English is taught in most schools.
Main Cities
Bogota, the capital, Medellin, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, Armenia, Bucaramanga, Tunja, Leticia.
Government
Latin America’s oldest democracy with three branches: executive, legislative and
judicial. The President of the Republic, as well as senators and congressional
representatives, are elected by popular vote every four years.
Race
Colombian is multi-ethnic and a large portion of its population is mestizo.
Light-skinned Colombians predominate in certain regions and Afro-Colombians
in others. There are more than eighty indigenous groups spread throughout the
territory. Immigrant groups are concentrated in certain regions along the Caribbean Cost.
Economy
Colombia has enjoyed considerable economic development in the past several
decades. It is one of the few Latin American economies to remain balanced and
continue to grow as recent world crises have affected many other countries.
Colombia’s industrial and agribusiness production and services are extremely
diverse; the country’s economy is Latin America’s fourth largest after Brazil,
Mexico and Argentina.
Holidays
Colombia celebrates a number of holidays, when schools and offices are closed.
The law requires that those working on holidays receive special compensation.
Colombia’s general
infrastructure
Air Travel
The country is directly linked to major North American and European cities, with
daily flights to New York, Miami, Mexico City, Madrid, Paris, Sao Paulo, Buenos
Aires, Panama, and many others. Major airlines – including American Airlines,
Delta Airlines, Iberia, Lufthansa, and Air France – fly directly to Bogota, and some
go to Cartagena, Barranquilla and Medellin. Avianca-Taca, Colombia’s largest
airline, also offers international flights to destinations including Miami,
New York, Los Angeles.
Transport
The entire country is linked through a system of roads and highways, except
extremely remote regions such as the Amazon jungle, certain parts of the Chocó
department, and the eastern plains region.
A number of companies offer passengers overland transportation (buses, minbuses,
etc.) to nearly every corner of the country. In major cities, passenger service
operates out of centralized bus stations. Taxis are available in all major cities,
serving the city and its outlying neighborhoods, as well as the surrounding regions.
There is no rail service except for freight, and only in certain regions.
www.invias.gov.co
Banking
The Colombian peso is the country’s only currency. Major cities have currency
exchanges where international currency can be bought and sold. These currency
exchanges set purchase and sales prices of foreign currency based on market
tendencies, which may be higher or lower than the official exchange rate.
Branch banking and ATM machines are available in all Colombian cities and many
small towns and municipalities. Banks generally operate between 9:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m.; certain offices in large cities offer extended hours from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00
p.m. All major international credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express,
etc.) are accepted in Colombia when purchasing goods and services. However, this
service is often unavailable in provincial businesses far from major cities, where
you may have to pay in cash.
Hotels and Accommodations
Colombia has experienced remarkable growth in tourism: 3.7 million tourists in
2013; 28 million passengers on national and international flights; eight new national
and 11 international air routes; 7.15% growth in the creation of employment in the
sector from 2010 to 2012; and investments of more than COP 241 billion (US$125
million) in tourism competitiveness, promotion and infrastructure projects in all 32
departments. It is expected that by 2016, new facilities opened by Colombian and
foreign companies will bring the accommodations available in Colombia to
69,000 hotel rooms.
The hotel boom in Colombia is also bolstered by the diverse geographic,
weather, and cultural characteristics of each territory. The country has options for
accommodations, then, for all tastes and interests. Lodging options run the gamut:
large, luxurious traditional hotels in city centers; friendly little boutique hotels; and
modern business hotels near the major airports or financial districts.
Currently, several international hotel chains such as Four Seasons, Hilton, Sheraton,
Marriot, Estelar, Ibis and Holiday Inn operate in Colombia, along with world-class
Colombian chains. Hotels range from 3-stars with prices for single rooms starting
at US$40, to 5-star hotels priced at up to USD $300 per night (these rates vary
depending on the season and the city).
Restaurants
Restaurants throughout the country, particularly in major cities such as Bogota,
Cartagena, Cali and Medellin, are currently enjoying gastronomical success,
offering a wide variety of national and international cuisine. Anthony Bourdain, the
traveling chef of the Travel and Living channel, defines Colombian cooking: “A
visit to Colombia is one of those surprising experiences that can change the course
of your life (...) Food in Colombia is amazing and full of incredible flavors”.
Telecommunications
The country – and its many regions, cities and villages – offers complete
telecommunications services, including corporate satellite communications; Internet
services for all needs; mobile phones; radiotelephones; and local, regional, national
and international phone connections.
The scope and variety of the Colombian radio network makes it unique in the
world. There is also an extensive network of television services providing news,
education and entertainment: two private channels, two public channels, one mixed
channel, several regional channels, local channels in certain cities, payper- view,
and university channels.
21
Telephones/ Mobile Phones
Several companies offer mobile phone services with national and international
coverage: Claro, Movistar and Tigo. Avantel (radiotelephone and mobile) service is
also available.
Internet
Several companies provide a variety of subscription Internet services (cable,
wireless Internet, etc). Some cities such as Bucaramanga enjoy free citywide
Internet service. In smaller cities and villages Internet services are available in
Internet cafes. Communications and telecommunications services are available
throughout the country, except for certain remote areas. Broadband and Wi-Fi
Internet services are available in larger cities; most connections in smaller
towns are dial-up.
Electricity
The national energy grid distributes electricity to most of the country. Colombia
exports electricity to other countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and certain parts of
Central America. Voltage is 110-120 v/60 Hz, as in the United States.
Health
22
A network of hospitals around the country provides general and emergency health
services to millions of people. Major cities boast internationally renowned clinics
and there is great demand for medical services from foreign patients.
regions
23
Bogotá: The
Nation’s
Capital
• Bogota, the capital of Colombia, has a population of over seven million
inhabitants and is located at 2,625 meters (8,610 feet) above sea level.
• Including urban, suburban, and rural areas, the city stretches over 1,775 square
24
kilometers (685 square miles), including the Sumapaz district, home to the
largest paramo (alpine tundra) in the world.
• The city has chilly weather, which varies somewhat during certain months:
in December, January and March temperatures are higher, while in April and
October temperatures drop.
• Bogota is the center of the country’s political, economic, administrative,
industrial, artistic, sporting, tourism, and cultural life.
• Bogota is a city of stark contrasts, including traditional colonial neighborhoods
like La Candelaria, where you can feel what the city was like in the nineteenth
century; modern architecture; industrial areas; vast parks; English-style
neighborhoods; and rural areas with large houses and beautiful gardens.
• There are several wetlands in Bogota that are home to a wide variety of bird
species. The city is also surrounded by ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers like
the Magdalena River, the most important river in Colombia.
• Just a few hours away from the city by car, there are several cities and towns
with both chilly and temperate climates, each with its own unique charm.
Bogota is Audiovisual
• Bogota is the city with the highest number of professionals and technicians
available for audiovisual work. The city has more than 30 higher education
programs training these experts every year. It has a wide range of equipment
and infrastructure and the largest network of public institutions and private
companies dedicated to the creation of moving images.
• The nation’s capital is a hub for the most important promotional, training,
exhibition, and marketing events for audiovisual content in Colombia.
• In recent years, major international projects have been filmed in the city and
surrounding areas, such as “Narcos” (Netflix-Gaumont International Television
/ Dynamo), “The 33” (Phoenix Pictures / Dynamo), “Blunt Force Trauma”
(Blunt Force Trauma LLC / 64A Films), and “The Belco Experiment” (MGM
/ Ithaca Films).
25
Bogota: Colombia’s Driving Force
for Creative Content
• In terms of business activity, Bogota is home to nearly 92% of Colombia’s
creative services, 90% of audiovisual production companies, 73% of digital
content companies, and 55% of video game companies.
• In 2014, companies involved in audiovisual industries (advertising, film,
television, animation, and video games) reported estimated net profits of
approximately US$400 million, 38% more than in 2013.
Bogota Supports the Industry
• The Bogota Chamber of Commerce (CCB), the Bogota Department of Culture,
Recreation and Sports, and Invest in Bogota are some of the institutions
carrying out specialized programs and projects for the industry. These
programs and projects include:
Cluster of Creative Industries and Contents
This initiative, led by the CCB along with other stakeholders in the city,
seeks to transform the city into Latin America’s foremost center for creative
digital content, through the competitive development of the publicity,
media, film, video game, and digital animation industries.
26
Bogota Audiovisual Market - BAM
Organized by the CCB and Proimágenes Colombia, the Bogota Audiovisual
Market has become the leading audiovisual market in Colombia and has
gradually been recognized as an essential international event for discovering,
exhibiting, and marketing new audiovisual productions.
Bogota Film Commission
Aware of the enormous growth and potential of the city’s audiovisual
industry, the Bogota city government, led by Department of Culture,
Recreation and Sports, created the Bogota Film Commission (CFB) with
the goals of advising and encouraging film and television shoots in the city;
strengthening Bogota’s audiovisual industries (television, film, advertising,
etc.); promoting the city as a location for domestic and international film
and television shoots; and regulating the use of public spaces for commercial
film shoots by implementing the Unified Permit for Audiovisual
Filming (PUFA).
Invest in Bogota
Through free, personalized advisory services, this joint initiative of the CCB
and the Bogota city government promotes Bogota as the ideal setting for
foreign companies in the audiovisual industry to do business.
Bogota is audiovisual, Bogota is
movement, Bogota is your city.
See the Bogota production guide at: www.filmingbogota.gov.co
Cluster Of Creative Industries and Contents:
http://www.ccb.org.co/Clusters/Cluster-de-Industrias-Creativas-y-Contenidos
Invest in Bogotá: http://es.investinbogota.org/
Caribbean
Region
• The Caribbean region is located in northern Colombia along the Caribbean
coast, between the Morrosquillo Gulf and Riohacha in the Guajira province. It
includes the San Andrés and Providence archipelago.
• This region has four main cities plus a variety of medium-size cities and
countless small towns and picturesque villages along the shores of oceans or
streams, rivers or swamps, or tucked away in forests or desert zones such
as the Guajira.
• The Colombian Caribbean features three large coral reefs; close to Providence
is one of the largest coral formations in the Caribbean.
• It has several archipelagos and many beautiful islands including the Rosario
Islands near Cartagena, the San Andrés and Providence archipelago off the
coast of Central America and just a 2-hour flight from Bogotá, Isla Fuerte and
the San Bernardo Islands in the Gulf of Morrosquillo.
• Towering some 5,770 meters (18,930 feet) above the Caribbean coast is the
great Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world’s highest coastal mountain. At
the foot of the mountain lays the Tayrona National Park. Crystalclear creeks
and rivers tumble down from the high mountains into canyons and valleys of
astounding natural beauty.
The Sierra is populated by several indigenous communities.
• The Salamanca Island Park Drive runs along the Caribbean coast. Its mangrove
swamps provide refuge for an incredible variety of migratory sea birds and its
lagoons and swamps are rich with animals, fish and vegetation.
• Cartagena and Barranquilla are international ports. Cartagena welcomes
international cruise ship tours operated by companies like Royal Caribbean
International, Aida Cruises and Avia Caribbean. The city also boasts a booming
trade among private yachts from around the world.
27
Cartagena International
Film Festival (FICCI)
• Created in 1960, the Cartagena International Film Festival (FICCI) is the
longest-running international film festival in Latin America. The festival’s
growing prestige attracts internationally acclaimed directors, producers, and
actors to Cartagena every year.
• It is organized by the Cartagena Film Festival Association, which awards the
India Catalina statuette to the best of Ibero-American cinema. It is the only
festival in the region to have been accredited by the International Federation of
Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as a competitive festival specializing in
Ibero-American cinema.
• The Colombia al 100% section features premieres of outstanding recent
Colombian productions.
Main Cities
Cartagena de Indias, Barranquilla, San Andrés y Providencia, and Santa Marta.
28
Central
Andean
Region
• This region includes Colombia’s three coffee growing departments (Caldas,
Risaralda and Quindío) and the southern part of the department of Antioquia,
extending from the Central Andean range to the foothills of the Western
Andean range.
• Colombia’s Central Andean region is extremely mountainous and includes two
of the high Andean ranges (the central and eastern) with snowy peaks rising
more than 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level (Nevado del Ruiz and
Nevado del Tolima); extensive sections of temperate climate with average
temperatures of 18-22º C (64-68º F); and rolling valleys along the great
Magdalena and Cauca Rivers running the length of the country from
north to south.
• The Central Region’s temperate zone is one of the country’s most beautiful
with exuberant vegetation and a wealth of flowers, bamboo groves, towering
trees such as the Ceiba and Pisingo, and coffee plantations throughout, where
the world’s most “suave” coffee is grown.
• There are many coffee-growing villages with characteristic town squares,
enormous churches rising above the other buildings, and numerous cafes, bars,
restaurants, ice cream shops, and traditional-style administrative centers.
• Many of these small towns seem frozen in time and have preserved their late
19th-century and early 20th-century architecture including long cobblestone
streets and spacious two-story homes built from guadua (bamboo) and
bahareque (rustic stucco) featuring wide outdoor porches and interior patios
typically decorated with flowers of all kinds and colors.
• The coffee-growing culture is alive throughout the region: mule trains carrying
sacks of coffee to collection centers and characteristic ladder buses and jeeps
crammed with people and products are still seen on roads.
• The region features majestic mountains, peaks, ridges, canyons and hollows;
big rivers, streams, and waterfalls of astounding beauty; lakes and lagoons;
snowy peaks, paramos (Andean moors) and gorgeous landscape in cool,
temperate and hot climates. Colombia’s Andean region is anything but flat!
• Small production and postproduction houses operate in Medellín and trained
personnel with experience in recent large productions are available.
Main cities
Armenia, Manizales, Medellin, Pereira, and Ibagué.
29
30
Southern
Andean
Region
Park, thanks to the stunning works left by ancient cultures that lived here
before the Christian Era. These works are a collection of statues, stone reliefs,
burial mounds, cobblestone paths, embankments, and terraces.
Main Cities
Cali, Ibagué and Neiva.
• This region includes the departments of Tolima, Valle del Cauca, and Huila,
located to the south of the central region of Colombia. All of Colombia’s
climates and geographical accidents can be found in these lands. The
department of Tolima offers countless natural, cultural and gastronomic
attractions. Some of the department’s prominent cities are El Espinal,
Mariquita, and the municipality of Honda, declared a national heritage site.
• Important ecotourism attractions include the national natural parks of Los
Nevados and the water sports practiced in the reservoir of the El Prado
hydroelectric dam, where aquaculture is also practiced. Rice and cotton
are grown in Tolima, thanks to the Magdalena River, known as the river
of the homeland, and other major rivers running through the department.
The department is the country’s largest rice producer, second largest cotton
producer, and third largest coffee producer.
• The Cauca River valley is one of the widest, most beautiful, and most fertile
valleys in Colombia. It runs from southwest to northeast through the center
of the department that bears its name, the department of Valle del Cauca.
The region has lush vegetation, massive hundred-year-old trees (ceibas,
mahoganies, Madras thorns, etc.), bushes, and flowers that stretch across
vast territories, some of which resemble the African plains. Sugar cane, fruit
trees, and sorghum are grown over expansive fields in the lands of the valley.
Extensive cattle ranching is also carried out. There are large estates throughout
the region, and some of them conserve their colonial architecture with beautiful
gardens and spacious cobblestone patios.
• Cali is the capital of the department. It has around two million inhabitants,
making it the third most populated city in the country. Cali has been a firstrate
center for film activity in Colombia since the 1970s. The city has been witness
to the emergence of directors working in fiction film, documentaries, and
television, as well as major talents in the performing and audiovisual arts. The
city has an excellent film school at the Universidad del Valle.
• The department of Huila is characterized by varied agricultural production and
by the formation of amazingly different landscapes, such as the Tatacoa Desert
and the Colombian Massif, located at opposite extremes of the department. It
is the only Colombian department with six national natural parks. The Tatacoa
Desert is one of the main attractions in the area. This dry tropical forest of 330
Km2, paradoxically very close to the course of the Magdalena River, offers an
arid landscape of ochre and ash colors formed by erosion.
One of the main symbols of the department is the San Agustin Archeological
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Eastern
Region
• The region covers a large portion of the eastern Andean range between
the Magdalena River valley and the Eastern Plains and includes the
1,200-kilometer (745 miles) long Cundinamarca- Boyacá savannah at 2,600
meters (8,530 feet) above sea level, starting from the capital Bogotá and over
most of the Boyacá department.
• The Cundinamarca-Boyacá savannah is green and fertile and features valleys
and gorges of astounding beauty with tiny villages hidden in the mountain
slopes. Much of this land is reserved for cattle ranching, flower plantations,
vegetable crops and slightly higher up, potato farms.
• The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, 5,250 meters (17,200 feet) above sea level, has
18 snowy peaks, 14 seasonally snowy peaks and several glaciers that form over
300 high-altitude lakes, some of them over 3,900 meters (13,000 feet) above
sea level. It’s the ideal place for high mountain climbers and eco-tourism.
• This region has numerous paramos (Andean moors) of extraordinary beauty.
Colombia has more paramos than any other country in the world. They are
rightfully known as “water factories” because of their spongy vegetation
comprised mainly of lichen and moss that condense water in the atmosphere
and hold it before letting it run slowly down the mountain slopes, creating
streams and creeks that form the country’s major rivers. Paramos in the region
include the Sumapaz Páramo (the world’s largest), and the Pisba, Chingaza and
Choachí paramos.
• Beautiful colonial architecture with cobblestone streets, large town squares
and churches, gorgeous homes and historic monuments seemingly lost in time
can be seen throughout the region. Villa de Leyva and Barichara are two such
towns.
• There are also many lagoons, lakes and tranquil savannah rivers as well as the
rushing waters of rivers such as the Orinoco running out of the mountains and
into the Magdalena River basin.
• The entire region is full of birds and home to an immense variety of flora
including an incredible diversity of orchids (Colombia has more orchid species
than any other country), soaring palm trees, ferns, bushes, and uniquely
beautiful flowers and trees.
• There are hotels and hostels throughout the region, and in some towns such
as Barichara and Villa de Leyva old homes and farms are rented to tourists
interested in their history and the surrounding environment.
Main Cities
Barichara, Bucaramanga, Tunja and Villa de Leyva.
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Amazon
Region
• This enormous tropical jungle plain rich in water, rivers, lagoons and swamps
is located southern Colombia, along the borders of Brazil and Peru.
• Leticia, the capital of the Colombian Amazon, has 25 thousand inhabitants and
is located on the banks of the great Amazon River, a 2-hour flight from Bogotá,
the nation’s capital. It is the region’s only large city and many of its inhabitants
are originally from other Colombian inland regions or, more commonly,
indigenous people from the surrounding Huitoto, Yagua, Tucano, Ticuna, Camá
and Inga tribes. Leticia is close to the neighboring city of Tabatinga on the
Brazilian border and the Peruvian border as well.
• It is difficult to access much of the Amazon Region because of the thick jungle
and a lack of adequate roads or footpaths, but near Leticia there are a number
of beautiful sites rich in natural beauty such as the Amacayacu National Park
whose name means “river of hammocks” in the Quechua language. This park is
60 kilometers (37 miles) from Leticia.
• The entire region is a huge nature reserve with abundant flora and fauna
found nowhere else in the world and there are several national parks such as
Amacayacu, the Cahuinari and La Paya and places of interest such as the Isla
de los Micos (Monkey Island).
• In the Amacayacu National Park alone there are over 150 species of mammals
such as the pink dolphin (unique to the Amazon and Orinoquia Rivers), the
danta, jaguars, manatees, and otters. There are also all kinds of reptiles, snakes,
spiders, ants, batrachians and insects. There are also amazing fish such as the
piracuru and pirañas in the Amazon River and in the swamps and marshes and
infinite streams that wind through the jungle vegetation.
• The Amazon River as it rolls past Leticia is so vast that it is often difficult
to see the other shore. The river landscapes –islands, countless tributaries
and ancient riverbeds– make up a huge fresh water ocean surrounded by the
immense Amazon jungle.
• Monkey Island, Amacayacu National Park, Leticia Botanic Gardens and Zoo,
the Amazon Ethnographic Museum of Man, Santander and Orellana Parks,
Yabarí River, and Lake Tarapoto are all worth visiting for their exuberant
beauty and the splendor of their vegetation and landscapes.
• There are no large international hotels in the city but specialized environmental
and eco-tourism accommodations are available.
• Most transportation in the region takes place on rivers. There are companies in
Leticia that rent vessels for transporting cargo and passengers.
• Yellow fever vaccination is required at least ten days before traveling.
• Average temperature: 30 °C (86 °F).
Main City
Leticia
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Special
Locations
The Colombian Film Commission recommends another region, Chocó, the cities
of Popayán and Mompox, and Las Lajas national monument with a special
charm and beauty worth considering, although far from the beaten track and more
difficult to access.
Chocó
• Colombia’s only province with both Caribbean and Pacific shores. These
coastlines are dramatically different: the bright, transparent waters of the
Caribbean coast, close to Panama, are a national tourist destination and the
Pacific shores are located in jungle areas and have strong tides and a long
coastline. There are hotels along both coasts but they must be accessed by air.
• The Bay of Utría along the Pacific coast is a refuge for the Yubarta whales that
swim up from the south every year to give birth.
• The Chocó province is an immense, exotically beautiful rainforest – one of
the rainiest places in the world. It is a mega-diverse region rich in native flora
and fauna. There are no highways and most of the region’s transportation takes
place on the swift rivers.
• Most of the inhabitants of the Chocó province are of African descent and
cohabit with numerous indigenous communities in the region such as the Catía
and Embera peoples.
Main city
Quibdó
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Popayán
• Is the capital of Cauca province, located at the southwest of the country.
Its
historical center is considered one of the most beautiful and well preserved
colonial cities of Colombia, and Latin America. It is also known as the white
city, due to the color of its buildings and architecture.
• Nearby is Puracé National Natural Park, a geothermal wonderland of hot
springs, waterfalls, and an inactive volcano from which the park derives its
name. The nearest large city is Cali, in the neighboring department of Valle del
Cauca, to the north of Cauca.
• The UNESCO declared the processions held during Easter Week as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Patrimony of Humanity.
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Mompox
Las Lajas
strategic location along the Magdalena River and its proximity to Cartagena.
All commerce in Colombia passed through Mompox and it was an obligatory
stop along the route from the country’s interior to the Caribbean. The city’s
classic and religious Sevillian architecture survives this glorious era and makes
Mompox one of Colombia’s most beautiful and best-preserved cities.
• The charm of the city’s churches, parks, monuments, its cemetery, avenues,
tiny streets, alleys and centennial houses make it seem as if time in Mompox
has stopped. Dino Rossi filmed Chronicle of a Death Foretold, based on the
novel by Colombian Nobel winner Gabriel García Márquez, in this city.
• It is famous for its gorgeous filigree work. Many artists and artisans create
exquisitely elegant gold and silver pieces.
• It can be reached by taking a boat up the Magdalena River or by plane. We do
not recommend traveling overland.
• There are hotels and guesthouses in Mompox. Colombia’s liberator Simon
Bolivar stayed in one of the city’s large homes, now a comfortable hotel.
devout since the 17th century due to its beautiful architecture and the Guaitara
River Canyon in the Nariño Department where it is located, one of the most
breathtaking settings in southern Colombia, only a few kilometers from the
border with Ecuador.
• The location can be easily accessed on the highway from Pasto, the capital
of Nariño.
• The surrounding area is full of mountains and valleys dotted with crops that
lend a special color to the entire region.
• There are comfortable guesthouses and hotels for tourists near Las Lajas.
• One of the most important colonial cities during the 17th century due to its
• The Las Lajas sanctuary is a Catholic basilica that has attracted tourists and the
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Old
Providence
Isla de
Salamanca
Cienaga Grande
de Sta. Marta
Corales del Rosario
El mono
Hernández
Macuira
Tayrona
Sierra Nevada de
Santa Marta
Los Colorados
Las
Orquídeas
Serranía de
los Yariguies
Cocuy
Guanentá Alto
y Río Fonce
Selva Florencia
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40
Tamatá
Los Nevados
Colombia’s
National
Parks
Colombia has fifty-four nature reserves grouped into a National Nature Reserve
System, more than 11% of the national territory. These parks are of incalculable
ecological and environmental importance to the country and to all of humanity;
each of them holds enormous natural wealth, countless varieties of plants and
animals -many of them endemic- and absolutely amazing landscape.
Pisba
Iguaque
Chingaza
Las Hermosas
Farallones
de Cali
Nevado del
Huila
Cahuinari
Río Puré
Amacayacu
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Land of
MegaDiversity
42
Colombia is one of five mega diverse countries in the world because of its
enormous natural wealth and many and varied ecosystems incorporating snowy
peaks, humid tropical jungles, paramos (Andean moors), expansive valleys, two
oceans, deserts, countless rivers, lakes and lagoons, and thousands of plant and
animal species of astounding beauty.
All of Colombia’s regions exemplify the incredible ecological, environmental,
racial, architectural and cultural variety that characterizes the country and, for the
most part, cities, villages, agricultural zones, countryside and forests are easily
visited. Each of these regions features cold, cool and hot climates and in only 2-3
hours you can travel from high mountains over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above
sea level to warm weather regions at sea level, except in the Amazon region
where the entire territory is one huge tropical jungle.
• The Andes split into three ranges in Colombia and in less than two hours one
can travel through cold weather on snowy peaks towering more than 5,000
meters (16,000 feet) above sea level, to hot temperatures at sea level.
• Colombia is one of the world´s richest countries in water with five major
hydrographic basins flowing into the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Oceans as
well as the Amazon, Orinoco or Catatumbo Rivers.
• Caribbean and Pacific coastlines total over 3,000 kilometers (1,350 miles).
• The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the only coastal peak in the world rising
more than 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level.
• Colombia is the richest nation in the world in bird, reptile and arachnid species
and boasts the greatest diversity of orchids.
• Colombia is famous around the world for its coffee, flowers, gorgeous
emeralds and talented people.
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how?
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Still Photography, “Dead Time”
Visas
Foreigners require a visa to enter and remain in Colombia. However, temporary
visitors from certain countries, whose purpose of travel is relaxation or recreation
for a maximum of 90 days, only need a passport, return ticket, and the authorization
of Migración Colombia. If foreigners will remain in Colombia for more than 180
days, they also require an authorization to stay (permiso de permanencia) issued by
Migración Colombia.
Temporary Visas
Temporary visas are granted to foreigners who enter the country with no intention
of permanently residing there. Under Law 1556, foreigners who are part of the
technical crew, artistic team, actors or actresses involved in shooting movies or
other audiovisual productions to be made or filmed in Colombian territory may
obtain a TP-1 temporary visa.
This also applies to any foreign personnel participating in co-productions with
Colombia in the framework of international co-production treaties.
The written request for the Courtesy Visa must be made by the Colombian Film
Commission (Comisión Fílmica Colombiana) for those projects benefiting from
the cash rebate under Law 1556, and by the Ministry of Culture or the Film Office
(Dirección de Cinematografía) of the Ministry of Culture for co-productions. The
duration of the courtesy visas ranges from 90 days to one year.
Below please find the information to be submitted to apply for a courtesy visa:
• Written request addressed to the Film Department (Dirección de
Cinematografía) (for co-productions) or addressed to the Colombian Film
Commission (Comisión Fílmica Colombiana) (for projects approved under
Law 1556), signed by the producer of the work.
• Synopsis of the project.
• Summary of the producer(s)’ biography.
• If the stay in the country is less than 30 days, there is no need to submit a visa
application. However, if a producer comes to Colombia for shooting purposes,
the Colombian Film Commission may issue a presentation letter.
• Data fact sheet for the work in question.
• List of persons entering the country for the purpose of filming, listing their
identification documents and the functions they will fulfill during
filming of the work.
• Information regarding Colombian artistic and technical personnel scheduled to
intervene in filming, when applicable.
• Estimate of financial resources to be invested in filming on Colombian territory.
• Places and dates foreseen for shooting.
• Certificate of health insurance policy for a period at least as long as the stay
in the country.
With this information, the appropriate institution requests the issuance of the
temporary visas from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once approved at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the process can be done online.
For this, visa applicants may apply personally or the production team may designate
one person to visit the visa authorization office at Bogota and apply for the group.
Visas must be applied for 15 days in advance due to the high number of applications
for visas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Temporary Visitors
Foreigners from any of the countries that do not require a visa to enter the country
and who come for short periods of time as members of the staff, technical crew, or
artistic team of an audiovisual project may enter with an entry permit (permiso de
ingreso) and authorization to stay (permiso de permanencia) granted by
Migración Colombia.
We recommend requesting a letter of introduction from the Film Commission to
present to the immigration officer when entering the country.
Obligation to Register
Any person who has obtained a visa for a period of greater than 90 days must
register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Migración Colombia within fifteen
(15) days from the date of arrival in Colombia, or from the date the visa was
granted in the case that it has been processed in the country. Once the visa has been
registered, Migración Colombia will issue the visitor a foreigner I.D. card (cédula
de extranjería), which will serve as identification within Colombia. Foreigners must
carry it with them throughout the duration of their stay in the country; they will be
able to use it to enter into contracts and open bank accounts, among other activities.
Permits Authorizations
National Film Office Resolution Allowing For
Filming on National Territory.
To request authorization to film foreign pictures on national territory the petitioner
must present the following documents to the Ministry of Culture´s Film Office
(in Spanish):
• Written request addressed to the Ministry of Culture´s Film Office (Dirección
de Cinematografía del Ministerio de Cultura) signed by the producer.
• Synopsis of the project.
• Summary of the producer(s)´biography.
• Data fact sheet for the work in question.
• List of persons entering the country for the purpose of filming, listing their
identification documents and the functions they will fulfill during filming
of the work.
• Information regarding Colombian artistic and technical personnel scheduled to
intervene in filming, when applicable.
• Estimate of financial resources to be invested in filming on
Colombian Territory.
• Places and dates foreseen for shooting.
The authorization to film does not replace or constitute permits or authorizations
required by other competent authorities regarding immigration visas, incoming
funds or investments, and others.
The authorization, or if applicable, the denial of it, shall be issued within the
maximum term of fifteen (15) days from receipt or the request. In the event of
45
receipt of an application without the necessary requirements, the correspondent will
be informed within a maximum term of ten (10) days from submission.
To facilitate film and audiovisual work in Colombia, Colombian law has established
the following preferential treatment at customs offices:
Local Permits
• With authorization to make a foreign film from the Ministry of Culture,
These must be obtained from authorities in the city or municipality where taping or
filming takes place. Some of these cities have their own regulations that
must be respected.
Procedure for Permits in Bogota
On October 30, 2015, the Bogota Film Commission (CFB) launched the Unified
Permit for Audiovisual Filming (PUFA). The PUFA is a mechanism that helps
citizens and/or producers of filming activities to submit the necessary information
and documentation in the proper form to city government offices. These offices then
complete in a fast and timely manner the studies, permits, or authorizations required
for filming audiovisual works in public spaces with buildings and in areas of public
use in the city.
Contact
Bogota Film Commission, Cinemateca Distrital
Calle 12 No. 8 - 11 Piso 3
Tel: (57+1) 3 79 57 50
Ext: 3406, 4404, 3409
Web: www.filmingbogota.gov.co
46
Film Commission Coordinator: cfb@idartes.gov.co
Unified Permit: pufa.cfb@idartes.gov.co
Information to shoot in Bogota: info.cfb@idartes.gov.co
Procedure for Permits in Medellin
Through the One-Stop Procedure (Ventanilla Única), the Film Commission of
Medellin ensures that producers coming to the city have an easy and free way to
obtain all permits related to locations, police escorts, road closures, etc.
Contact
Medelín Film Commission
Francisco Pulgarín, Director
Email: francisco.pulgarin@rutanmedellin.org
Tel: (57) (4) 516 7770
www.filmmedellin.com
Customs
Colombia, goods entering from outside the country are subject to customs
obligations upon entry. Obligations include presentation of an import declaration
and payment of customs duties and any applicable fines. Documentation proving
this transaction must be obtained and kept, and these documents must be presented
should customs authorities so require.
Colombian legislation recognizes several forms of import transactions which allow
goods to be freely used.
necessary film equipment and materials may be imported for periods of six
months, renewable for an additional six months.
• Consumable goods such as film, lights or batteries may be imported with the
same obligation to re-export them.
• This type of temporary import generates no customs duties (tariffs, taxes or
other duties) as long as the goods are re-exported to their country of origin
before the allotted authorization expires. In all cases, transportation, storage
and cargo expenses must be paid.
• With authorization from the Ministry of Culture, no deposit guarantee is
required for temporary imports.
• Furthermore, non-residents arriving to the country (maximum 6 months,
renewable) to participate in film productions may bring in articles for personal
or professional use without paying customs duties. These items must be
declared at the time they are brought in and re-exported.
Film may be temporarily imported, if printed and developed as established in Tax
Memo 3706, with no duties, taxes or customs tariffs. Film enjoys all the incentives
of the “short-term temporary import” regulations for a period of 6 months,
renewable one time only. In this way, films, including foreign films, to be screened
at festivals or temporary events can be imported, as can those coming into the
country which will be re-exported to their country of origin.
Customs officials classify as “special delivery” all professional materials and
equipment for film production, blank film, and film printed with image and sound.
Although other “special delivery” cases are subject to a deposit guarantee, this is
not the case for film authorized by the Ministry of Culture.
Import and export procedures must be carried out by a customs agent (there
are some 100 authorized agencies), except when goods are valued at less than
US$1,000. The National Tax and Customs Office (DIAN) is responsible for
authorizing airports and ports for imports and exports.
Hiring Personnel
There are several forms of contracts in Colombia that can be used to hire artists,
technicians, authors, and any logistical services required in production projects.
These are a few of the most common:
Civil/Commercial Contract
These are independent contracts not seeking to establish any labor relationship
between the contractor (producer) and the contractee. For this reason the contract
must not refer to any of the common elements found in labor contracts, such as
subordination and dependence, although the necessary mechanisms of coordination
between the parties must be stated.
This type of contract is free and is signed once an agreement is reached regarding
the amount and form of payment and other obligations. A written document is
recommended but is not usually obligatory.
The parties are free to set the domicile for legal purposes: Colombia or the
producer’s country of origin.
This type of contract can be used to hire persons considered authors of the work
(screenwriters, directors, animation designers or composers of original music) when
it is necessary to define the rights each of these authors grants to the film producer.
These may include rights to publicly present the work in different formats,
territories, adaptations, reproductions, etc. The contract also establishes which
rights, when applicable, are reserved; although assignment of rights is presumed in
Colombia, all kinds of agreements to the contrary are accepted.
This type of contract is also used to contract artistic services (actors, directors
of photography, art directors, set designers, editors, etc.) and technical services
provided by individuals or legal entities, as well as a wide range of logistical
services (transportation, locations, rooms not in hotels).
It is also important to a production that the contract state the amount of
compensation paid for each product and whether said compensation is definitive or
if part of it is subject to commercial exploitation of the work. This is entirely up to
the parties, since there is no mandatory royalty system in Colombia.
Contracts with screenwriters of the work to be filmed, actors, sound producers, or
composers of music to be used in the film can be recognized and notarized. This
is useful, and in certain cases mandatory (in accordance with national copyright
legislation contained in Law 23 of 1982). It is inexpensive (about 3 US dollars per
contract) and can be done very quickly.
It is also important for productions that the contract state that any personnel
hired are to assume their own responsibilities visa- vis the Colombian health
care, pension and professional risk systems, regardless of whether the production
company contracts additional accident or life insurance coverage.
Temporary Employment Agency (ETT)
The use of temporary employment agencies is a common practice for hiring cast,
crew, and artistic personnel for the audiovisual sector.
Temporary Employment Agencies (ETT, as per the acronym in Spanish) are
companies whose activity consists of temporarily placing workers hired by the ETT
with a user company. Only employment
agencies which have been properly authorized under the terms provided by law may
hire workers in order to temporarily assign them to another company.
Labor Contracts
These contracts cover all forms of labor governed by Colombia’s Substantive Labor
Code. This model is usually not used for film productions, since film requires work
for shorter periods than other fields.
Taxes
Below is an outline of Colombian tax legislation, designed to help producers
better plan their work and correctly calculate budgets and expenses. The following
information is only a guide; we recommend you consult with professionals before
starting any audiovisual production in Colombia, since the required taxes and duties
will depend on each production’s unique characteristics.
Value Added Tax (VAT)
The VAT tax is added to the cost of goods and services purchased in Colombia.
There are three major tax groups: 0%, 5% and 16%. Services such as restaurants
carry an 8% VAT tax.
There is no VAT tax on goods temporarily imported for a limited duration, such as
equipment and other items used in film production and shooting activities. Foreign
exchange or currency sales are VAT-excluded operations.
Starting in 2014, no VAT will be charged for imported goods sent by express
shipments with a value of less than two hundred dollars (US$200).
Rental of property other than housing (such as locations) is subject to a 10% tax.
Special sales tax regulations apply to certain parts of the country such as the Amazon
department and the archipelago of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.
National Consumer Tax
This tax was recently created by Law 1607 of 2012; it is charged for services or
sales to the end consumer or for the following items imported by the end consumer:
• Mobile phone services.
• The sale of certain tangible personal property, domestically produced goods or
imported goods.
• Services related to the sale of food and beverages prepared in restaurants,
cafes, supermarkets, ice cream and fruit shops, pastry shops and bakeries,
including contracted food services and the sale of food and alcoholic beverages
for consumption in bars, taverns, and nightclubs. These goods and services are
not subject to VAT.
Withholding Tax
The withholding tax (retención en la fuente) is a tax collection mechanism for
withholding income taxes and complementary taxes at the time of payment, when
billed through a formal printed invoice (factura) or a billing statement (cuenta de
cobro). Withholding rates can vary from 1.0% to 33%, depending on the service
provided, whether the individual or company is Colombian or foreign, and whether
it is an individual or a legal entity.
It is important to note that each taxable event should be analyzed to determine its
withholding rate.
Pursuant to Article 14 of Law 1556 of 2012, for the purposes of withholding, foreign
source income is deemed to be: “... income earned by creative staff, technicians, and
production staff who do not reside in the country, when no contract exists and no
payments are made in Colombia resulting from their participation in a foreign film
that has been certified by the Film Department (Dirección de Cinematografía) of the
Ministry of Culture and that is registered in the film registry.”
The above implies that persons not residing in Colombia are not subject to income
47
taxes or complementary taxes, provided that their income is derived exclusively
from the provision of artistic, technical or production services for foreign films.
For services provided in Colombia by individuals or companies that do not reside
or are not domiciled in Colombia, the withholding rate will be from 25% to 33%,
except when the payments or credits to an account are for consulting, technical
services and technical assistance, in which case the applicable rate is 10% as
income tax, regardless of where the service was provided.
Insurance
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Approximately 30 insurance companies (supervised and authorized by the
Colombian Financial Regulatory Agency, Superintendencia Financiera) offer
general insurance and life insurance covering the different processes involved
in film, television and advertising production – especially during the filming or
shooting process.
Policies offer general coverage for the following:
• Actors, artistic personnel, and crew, guaranteeing payment of insured amounts
for interruption of filming, illness, accident, or death.
• Negatives, rushes, copies, soundtracks, and software.
• Defective materials, use of defective materials or equipment. This can cover,
among others, development, editing, defective processing, lab work, accidental
loss of videotapes or soundtracks, and exposure to light.
• Loss or damage to accessories, sets, costumes, and other forms of property of
this kind, as well as other property insured during filming.
• Loss or damage to equipment and materials such as cameras, camera
equipment, sound and lighting equipment, electrical equipment, portable
generators, effects equipment, and trailers.
• Civil liability vis-a-vis third parties due to damage to property or persons
caused by filming.
• Losses suffered by the producer due to additional expenses related to
interruption or suspension.
help!
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Still Photography, “Pacific”
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Behind the scenes, “Narcos”
Film Commission Services
Photography
possibilities and alternatives for their projects in terms of logistics, locations,
accommodations, Colombian talent, authorizations, contacts, etc.
• Advise producers and directors about Colombian legislation regarding taxes,
financing, hiring, customs, permits, visas, coproduction, etc.
• Supply contact with the various businesses, producers, institutions and national
and regional authorities related to their productions in order to make their work
quicker and more effective.
• Facilitate the expedition of National film office permit for filming on national
territory and the courtesy visas for cast and crew.
• Set-up packages of photographs of locations upon request.
• Organize pre-scouts and support recce process in Colombia.
• Connect filmmakers and producers with local film commissions.
• Ensure that producers, directors, cast and crew have the best experience
shooting in our country
Page 4 Behind the scenes “Pacific” Sinema(Argentina)
• Walk through and inform producers about the cash rebate 40% - 20%.
• Inform producers and directors interested in Colombia of the best
Staff
Silvia Echeverri
Director Film Commission and Promotion
silviaecheverri@proimagenescolombia.com
Claudia Triana
Proimágenes Colombia Director
claudiatriana@proimagenescolombia.com
Lina María Sánchez
Promotion Executive
linasanchez@proimagenescolombia.com
Contact
www.locationcolombia.com
info@locationcolombia.com
Phone: (57+1) 2870103
Mobile Phone: (57+) 320 345 6635 – 310 320 2878
Address: Calle 35 No. 5 - 89 (Barrio La Merced)
Bogotá, D.C. – Colombia
Cover Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of Tourism, Mundo de felicidad - Lucy Monsalve Plata – Amazonas
Page 6 Still Photography “Narcos” Netflix- Gaumont
Page 8 Still Photography “Dead Time” Sinema (Argentina)
Page 12 Still Photography “Dogs” Sinema (Argentina)
Page 17 Still Photography “Pacific” Sinema(Argentina)
Page 20 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of Tourism, Rojo - Gabriel Rojas Manjarrez - Caño Cristales, La Macarena, Meta
Page 23 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of Tourism
- Me acompañas - Hernán Herrera Echeverría - Archipielago of San Andrés,
Providencia and Santa Catalina
Pages 24, 25, 26 26th Street, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer Sebastián
Cárdenas. Barrio la Candelaria, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer Sebastián Cárdenas. Humedal La Conejera, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer
Luis Martínez. 26th Street,, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer Sebastián
Cárdenas. Quinta de Bolívar, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer Sebastián
Cárdenas. Simón Bolívar Park, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer Sebastián Cárdenas. La Sabana train station, Bogotá Film Commission,Photographer
Luis Martínez. Complejo Acuático, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer
Sebastián Cárdenas. Teatro La Candelaria, Bogotá Film Commission, Photographer Sebastián Cárdenas
Pages 27, 28 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of
Tourism, - Me acompañas - Hernán Herrera Echeverría - Archipieelago of San
Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. La alegría en Colombia no tiene límites
- Yenny Paola Ardila - Festival de las cometas, Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar. Pesca, unión y convivencia - Lilian Urueta Cruz - Ciénaga del Mallorquín, Atlántico.
Ranchería Guajira - Jaime Otoniel Pérez Munevar - Rancheria, atractivo turístico
wayúu, La Guajira. Pescando brillos de sol - Johan Albeiro Romero García Santa Marta, Magdalena. Tayrona, turismo para el alma - Fernando Yaacov Peña
- Natural National Park Tayrona, Magdalena.
Pages 29, 30 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of
Tourism, Tocando el cielo - Gabriel Pereda - Valle del Cocora, Salento, Quindío.
La Prima_Vera en el jardín - Adriana Marcela Zapata Medina - Jardín, Antioquia.
Adiós Faltona - Oscar Eduardo Monsalve Mercado - Salento, Quindío. Bella
tormenta - José Antonio Leunda Retegui - Salento, Quindío. Inocencia de colores
- Lina Marcela Ruiz Calveche - Plazoleta de los Zócalos, Guatapé, Antioquia.
Pages 31, 32 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of
Tourism, Un respiro - Cristian Mauricio Guaje Ramírez - Nevado del Tolima,
Tolima. Turismo en bicicleta, toda inversión natural - Arvey Alfonso Granada
Calderón - Vía Pereira - vereda Estación Pereira, Risaralda. Pi’re - Nathalia
Cárdenas Flórez - Resguardo Indígena Misak, Guambia, Cauca. Compartiendo
ilusiones - Catalina González Bretón - La Bocana, Buenaventura, Valle del
Cauca. Mirada originaria - Cristian Montealegre Méndez - Indígenas Misak,
Silvia, Cauca. Se asoma el nevado - Claudia Milena Bustamante García - Parque
51
Principal, Murillo, Tolima.
Pages 33, 34 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of
Tourism, Entre cielo y tierra - Andrés Felipe Gómez Ortega - Natural National
Park El Cocuy, Boyacá. Ventana al territorio Guane - José Fernando Sánchez
Serna - Los santos, Santander. En la cima- Ernesto Navarro Jaimes- Cañon del
Chicamocha, La Mojarra,Santander. Sobre los tres gigantes - Wilfredo Amaya
Roncancio - Los cerros de Mavecure Comunidad Remanso, Guainía. Nevado de
Güican - Luis Eugenia Lizarazo García - Natural National Park El Cocuy, Boyacá. Laguna Iguaque - Manuel Sánchez-Vera Gómez-Trelles - Laguna Iguaque,
Chíquiza, Boyacá. Balcón del Cocuy - Iván Darío Macías - El Cocuy, Boyacá.
Desde adentro - Myriam Marín Rodríguez - Capilla Santa Bárbara de Barichara,
Santander
Pages 35, 36 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of
Tourism, Paisaje amazonas. Gloria Stella Moreno Mora. Selva Amazónica,
Amazonas. Hector Hernan Vanegas Ochoa-Amazonas, Pulmón Del Mundo-Pnn
Amacayacu-Amazonas. Victoria amazónica. Oscar Iván Betancourt Boxiga.
Lagos de Yahuarcaca - Leticia, Amazonas
Pages 37 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of
Tourism, El encuentro - Andrés Roberto Estefan Ramírez - Fiestas de la Virgen
del Carmen, Nuquí, Chocó. Una tierra de folclor - Mauricio Orjuela Castaño Sanceno, Chocó.
52
Page 38 Colombia touristic guides
Cauca-Panoramic of Popayan. Cauca-Colonial Street of Popayan. Casa colonial
del Centro Paseo en coche por la ciudad-Cauca
Page 39 Colombia touristic guides (Mompox)
Mompox, Bolívar. Bolivar-Main Plaza of Mompox. Ministry of Commerce,
Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of Tourism Luis Alberto Rueda Concha - Las
Lajas Sanctuary, Ipiales, Nariño
Page 41. Guillermo Enrique Sánchez, PNN El cocuy, Boyacá.
Pages 42, 43 Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Viceministry of
Tourism, Precio al silencio. Luis Orlando Aristizábal Gaviria. Ciénaga La Caimanera - Coveñas, Sucre. Edén rosado. María Edilma Paz Londoño. Camarones,
La Guajira. Armonía fotogénica. Jorge Alberto Sánchez Matiz. Lago Jardín
Botánico, Medellín. PNN Alto Fragua Indi Wasi - Arleth Gonzalez. PNN Chingaza-VenadoColaBlanca15-HernánLopera.
Page 44 Still Photography “Dead Time” Sinema (Argentina)
Page 49 Still Photography “Pacífic” Sinema(Argentina)
Page 50 Behind the scenes “Narcos” Netflix- Gaumont