Colombia. Since 2012, the year of the creation of Law 1556, 15 projects have been approved, of which 13 have already been shot with production services provided by Colombian companies such as Dynamo, Patagonia Films, 64 A Films, Caracol Televisión, FoxTelecolombia, La Ventana Films, Contento Films and Itaca Films. Cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta and places in La Guajira, among others, have served as stages for filming.
Most of these productions are of U.S. nationality, and followed by Argentine projects.
The feature film "Los 33", based on the rescue of Chilean miners in 2010, was the first project to receive cash reimbursement from the resources of the Colombia Film Fund - FFC, created by Law 1556 of 2012. The Colombia Film Fund is managed by Proimágenes Colombia. The producers received the return of 40% of the cinematographic expenses and 20% in logistical expenses just twenty-two weeks after the completion of the film. This co-production between the United States and Chile announced its premiere in Colombia for august 18 and its premiere in theaters on the 20th of the same month.
Another production within this system of stimuli that announces its premiere is "Narcos": series produced by Netflix, whose pilot received a stimulus from the FFC. The series focuses on the power of the drug trafficking business, through the stories of its most important capos.
"Narcos" stars Wagner Moura ('Tropa de Élite'), in the role of Pablo Escobar, and the Chilean Pedro Pascal, who was part of the fourth season of the series 'Game of Thrones', and is directed by José Padilha ('Tropa de Ëlite' and 'Robocop'). All 10 episodes of the series premiere on August 28 at 12:01 a.m. PST in all territories where Netflix is present.
Some of the projects that add to the U.S. quota are:
·" The Boy": produced by Spectrevision USA with services from Dynamo and Contento Films, shot in Santa Fe de Antioquia.
· "Blunt Force Trauma": shot in bogotá and its surroundings, starring actors such as Mickey Rourke ('El Luchador'), Ryan Kwanten ('True Blood') and Freida Pinto ('Who wants to be a Millionaire'), with services provided in Colombia by 64 A Films.
· "Abducted": produced by Caracol Televisión together with Marvista USA and Snap TV Argentina, was shot in March of this year in Bogotá and La Sabana.
Among the foreign production companies that have come to shoot the most in Colombia is Sinema from Argentina, who have produced "Corazón de León" with services from La Ventana Films, "Tiempo Muerto", "Pacifico" and "Perros" with Patagonia Films.
The Spanish production company Nostromo Pictures filmed with Dynamo between the past months of December and January "Palmeras en la Nieve". The scenarios included places in Valledupar, Santa Marta and Bahía Solano. Pierre Javaux Productions of France joined 64A Films for "In the Name of the Son" which is currently in the post-production stage.
For its part, the short film based on the comic "Zambo Dendé", produced by 7gLab and FoxTelecolombia, has so far been the only 100% Colombian production made under the approved "stimulus law".
Thus, since 2012, the production of foreign films in our territory has left Colombia $83,000 million pesos in film services and logistics services since the creation of Law 1556, of which $11,000 million in incentives have been paid, generating around 1700 new jobs in the sector.
Colombia Film Promotion Committee -CPFC
The approval of the consideration of the projects mentioned above was in charge of the Colombia Film Promotion Committee -CPFC, made up of the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Cecilia Álvarez Correa, the Minister of Culture, Mariana Garcés Córdoba, the Vice President of Exports of Procolombia, Ricardo Vallejo, the Director of Cinematography of the Ministry of Culture, Adelfa Martinez, the delegates of the President of the Republic Jaime Abello and Mauricio Reina, and the representative of the producers Paula Jaramillo.
The Colombian Film Commission, a program of Proimagenes Colombia has continued its work of promoting and making known Colombia abroad as a destination for producers, directors and people who work in film and television, with the certainty that here they will find fertile ground to realize their best dreams. That is why every year the Colombian Film Commission – CFC carries out a Fam Trip or Familiarization Trip, where it invites representatives of international production companies to know the culture, talent, scenarios and benefits offered by our country for film production.
