Colombia has entered the tax incentive game with a generous new 40%-20% rebate program. The 33, an upcoming feature film based on the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners, is the first project to receive the cash rebate, which is administered by the Colombian Film Commission, a division of Proimágenes Colombia. The cash payment was wired to the producers 22 weeks after physical production of the film was completed.
“We are very pleased to have The 33 showcase the competitive incentive program we offer to the global film community as well as our country’s constantly evolving production infrastructure,” said Claudia Triana, the director of Proimágenes Colombia.
The incentive program offers a cash rebate for feature films, TV shows, documentaries and animation partially or totally produced in Colombia. The incentive breakdown includes 40% for film services, (services related to audio-visual pre-production, production or postproduction), and 20% for logistics services, (hotel, catering and transportation), of the amount spent in the country.
“From eager crews, and locations, which can be dressed to appear as any type of terrain, to the speed and efficiency in which we are able to disperse the cash rebate, we have built a filmmaking ecosystem that rivals and in some cases may even surpass the offerings of other nations around the world,” said Silvia Echeverri, Colombia’s Film Commissioner.
Robert Katz, who produced the film along with Mike Medavoy, was the primary liaison between the production and the film commission. “The support we received on this production was incredible,” he said. “Working with Proimágenes Colombia and the film commission could not have been easier or more efficient, and the vast array of production resources available to us was a tremendous asset to our movie. The attractive cost of mounting The 33 in Colombia enhanced by the rebate made Colombia an ideal place to produce the film we intended to make. Everyone we encountered, from the crews we used on set, to the vendors who provided services such as hotels, transportation and catering, offered true support and a work ethic which is on par with anywhere else around the globe I have filmed.”
“Though our story for The 33 takes place in Chile, indeed we shot about 50% of the film there, we searched throughout the world for a location that would fit the story’s very specific needs. We found exactly what we needed in Colombia, a stunning natural and original location, perfectly suited as the setting for our below ground action, and a film incentive program that was not just attractive but compelling, in terms of production costs,” added Medavoy.
Based on the events of the 2010 mining disaster which trapped 33 miners in the San Jose mine, The 33 was directed by Patricia Riggen, written by Mikko Alanne and stars Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, Cote de Pablo and Lou Diamond Phillips. Robert Katz, Edward McGurn and Mike Medavoy serve as producers.
