Panama is actively positioning itself as an ideal international co-production hub for filmmakers looking to film in Latin America, and new incentives are in the works.
The country has been highly praised this year at the Malaga Film Festival’s Latin American Focus, where a delegation of government officials, industry representatives and filmmakers will take part in an event that spotlights the Central American country’s many cinematic strengths, from its scenic natural landscapes and modern and historic cityscapes to its high level of technical expertise, with the cooperation of the government, represented by the Ministry of Culture and the National Cinema and Audiovisual Industry Directorate (Disin).
The presentation, held in Malaga on Tuesday, was attended by Arianne Benedetti, Panama’s deputy minister of culture, and Arturo Montenegro, director and producer of Q Films, which screened the political thriller Papers at the festival as part of the Panama Showcase. The producer and director is Luis Romero of Bolero Films. and Frank Spano of Garra Producciones, a Spanish producer and director specializing in Panamanian and Latin American co-productions.
Benedetti pointed out that Panama’s film and television industry is growing and “paving the way to sustainable development, not only in terms of domestic production, but also through foreign investments that strengthen the domestic production sector by creating jobs and by specializing the market system and filmmakers.”
She emphasized that Panama’s co-production scene gives Panama “an international presence and makes us a force to be reckoned with. Clearly, co-production is what gives Ibero-American cinema its strength. It allows us to access diverse budgets, because through co-production we find the tools we need to complete a film project.”
Benedetti pointed to the country’s new incentives introduced last year. This is an international co-production award that any film project can compete for, with $100,000 awarded to fiction films and $25,000 awarded to documentary films. He added that the new award is just a first step, as the Panamanian government is passing a new law that will extend funding to six feature films and six documentary co-productions.
Benedetti said the new financing scheme will give Panamanian producers more leverage when attending festivals and discussing potential co-productions with Panama, while fostering synergies between companies that will have mutual benefits for local and international filmmakers.
Montenegro emphasized the advantages that Panama brings to Latin America and Spain.
Co-production “offers the possibility to build bridges, to unite, to speak in the common language that we share. From there, we can look at our universe, our colors, the tropics, everything we have experienced, the stories we have to tell, how those stories collide with other realities, and I think that’s very interesting for us,” Montenegro said.
Indeed, Mr. Benedetti emphasized Panama’s historical role on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Panama has the peculiarity of being the heart of the Americas. Since the first Spaniards arrived in Panama, Panama began as a transit point, from which everything also departed and returned to Spain. There is a story about all of us. We have a story to tell that unites several countries.”
Romero pointed out that although Panama is a small country, it is also a very large community and a very large society because it functions as a transit country. “It is the hub of the Americas” with many flights, ships, ports and the most important banking center in all of Latin America. “In that sense, there is a lot to be gained.”
Romero added that although it is not always easy to co-produce in Latin America, Panama excels in the advertising field and as a result, the country also boasts a high level of technical expertise.
“It’s mainly about finding common ground in our stories.”
Romero is currently collaborating with Spanish companies Yola Perdono and Gachiro Films to co-produce “Juanchu”, a documentary directed by Manuel Jiménez and Andoni Famoso about Juanchu Rodríguez, a Spanish photographer and journalist killed by US forces during the 1989 US invasion of Panama.
For Spano, it’s not just Panama’s history, location, and canals that make it an interesting place for filmmakers. “It’s all thanks to the film industry. The fact that we’ve been able to co-produce and produce four feature films in the last eight years speaks volumes about the industry, the Ministry of Culture, the Film Institute, the financial support and the legislation that gave us the framework and impetus to tell our stories.”
Mr. Spano’s work includes the 2025 drama “La Terra Negra,” directed by Alberto Morais, which was shown in Malaga last year. Gala Producciones of Spano, which has offices in Madrid and Panama, participated as co-producer in Panama.
Spano’s previous four feature films have been Panamanian-Spanish co-productions, two as a Panamanian majority producer and two as a minority co-producer.
The director and producer is also working with teams in Panama, North America and Spain to develop new distribution and streaming platforms for independent films.
