Good news continues for Colombia’s audiovisual industry, with recent reports that the 2025 Audiovisual Investment Certificate (CINA) slots will be fully allocated by mid-September, an unprecedented milestone.
This 35% transferable tax credit incentive, introduced in 2012 alongside the Columbia Film Fund, is attracting more and more projects, with Netflix increasing its investment in more series and features. The most ambitious and expensive project in Latin America to date was carried out in Colombia, where a series adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude was released last year. The second and final season is currently airing and is expected to premiere next year.
One Hundred Years of Solitude, provided by Netflix
“I think the fact that we launch the final seasons of multiple shows in a year is indicative of how deeply established we are in the industry. This reflects our steady growth, pace and consistency over the years,” says Francisco Ramos, vice president of Latin American content at Netflix.
In response to growing demand, Colombia’s three major studios, RCN, Caracol, and TIS Studios, are opening their soundstages further to outside work. TIS Studios, which is 75% owned by Paramount, recently saw director Todd Yellin’s “The 52nd State” utilize its facilities.
Director Zack Snyder, known for big-budget films such as “300,” “Man of Steel” and “Justice League,” finished filming his passion project “The Last Photograph” in Colombia in October. He was very impressed with how quickly local staff and talent adapted to his fast-paced shooting style.
Snyder, who shot in Bogota, Chingaza National Park and the Amazon, served as not only the director but also his own cinematographer and camera operator, telling Variety that he averaged 40 setups a day. The only people accompanying him were his agent, his first assistant cameraman, a producer, and a still photographer. The rest were local hires arranged by production service company Jaguar Byte. All of his equipment was rented in Colombia, except for his trusty Arri Alexa 265 digital camera.
Zack Snyder, Behind the Scenes, Last Photo Credit: Clay Enos
“It’s a film that’s more intimate in scope and scale, but the scale doesn’t really matter. It still requires the same amount of work, if not more,” he says. The newly launched Instagram account, which featured behind-the-scenes shots from filming in Colombia, quickly amassed more than 250,000 followers in a few weeks.
“My experience working in Colombia was a really positive one, but the biggest takeaway for me was how much extraordinary talent I discovered. The Colombian actors I had the opportunity to work with, both male and female, were truly exceptional,” says Kiefer Sutherland, who stars in Justin Chadwick’s Sierra Madre. The film, also serviced by Jaguar Bite, was shot in Colombia last year.
Kiefer Sutherland in the Sierra Madre Credit: Walter Gómez Urrego
walter gomez urego
Colombian Film Commissioner Silvia Echeverri said: “There is growing interest from studios to produce larger and larger projects in Colombia, and the infrastructure to make this possible is being developed in the country.”
“The studio recognized the ability of the production services company and the technical and artistic teams to execute a project that had previously only been produced in Mexico and Brazil,” she points out.
To attract big shoots, it would help if Colombia offered the highest incentives, said Juan Pablo Solana, Jaguar Bite’s vice president of production. He points out that this perk has led to several projects going to Australia despite the distance and cost. In addition to “The Last Photograph” and “Sierra Madre,” Jaguar Bite has delivered bilingual Indian political thrillers such as “White.” “Working with such great filmmakers has helped us grow even more,” he says.
“We are proud that we now have excellent cinematographers, art directors, costume designers and make-up artists who rival the best talent in Europe and the United States. And that’s something that foreign productions quickly notice when they come to this country: the quality of local resources we have,” says Daniel Hernández Bocanegra, director general of Sequoya Latin America. In addition to providing production services, Secuoya Latin America has recently begun producing its own original productions, starting with the historical drama series “The 39,” currently available on Prime. latin america video.
The 39, provided by Secuoya Studios
Camila Castillo
“We have great confidence in our incentives, and the cost of production in Colombia is naturally lower compared to Europe, the United States, or even Mexico. And the experience of our talented people increases our confidence and puts us on the same level as other production centers in the world,” he says.
A clear sign of this growing confidence is the recent launch of the Colombian branch of Cimarron, the company that provided production services for the Oscar-nominated “Society of the Snow,” as part of parent company Mediapro Studios’ strategic expansion in the region.
Undoubtedly, Colombia’s productivity growth has led to new heights. In 2025, CINA Incentives approved 32 additional projects with an estimated investment of $188 million. Projects approved through CINA have generated cumulative investments of $861 million and more than 130,000 direct jobs since their inception.
And people are watching. According to a report by research firm Omdia, as of the end of 2024, Netflix will have recorded 2.59 billion hours of Spanish-language content, with Colombia leading Latin America with 24.6% and second place behind Spain at 38.7%.
Additionally, promotion organization Proimagenes reports that audiovisual production has significantly boosted Colombia’s economy, generating more than 570,000 hotel nights and more than 30,000 airline tickets, benefiting tourism and services across the country. The promoted projects currently span 24 provinces and 153 municipalities, reflecting a wide range of regional impacts.
Several recent and upcoming projects filmed in Colombia have the production services company listed before the producer.
Features
“Atlapero Cuen Pueda”
Director: Alfonso Pineda Ulloa
Producer: Mediapro/Cimaron Cine Mexico, Telemundo Studios, Cinépolis
“52nd state”
Director: Todd S. Yellin
Producer: Jaguar Byte/Pura Vida Films
“Coyote”
Director: Colin Minihan
Producer: Jaguar Bite/Capstone Studios, Gramercy Park Media
“La Cerda de los Milagros”
Director: Ana Lorena Pérez Rios
Producers: Secuoya Studios and Black Sheep Prods. (in production)
“La Corona”
Producer: Secuoya Studios/Black Sheep Prods./Startling/Infinity Hill (in development)
“I got lost in the jungle”
Director: Jimmy Chin, Juan Camilo Cruz, Elizabeth Chai Vasarheli
Producer: Jaguarbyte/Lightbox/Pacha
“Sierra Madre”
Director: Justin Chadwick
Producer: Jaguar Bite/Highland Film Group/Aligns
“Susanna and Elvira”
Director: Maria Gamboa
Producer: Pulsar Studio/Netflix
“Last photo”
Director: Zack Snyder
Producer: Juggerbite/Flag not attached
“white”
Director: Mont Bassi
Jaguar Bite/Peacecraft Photo
series
“Betty, La Faire: The Story Continues” Season 3
Producer: RCN/Amazon Prime
“Please meet me”
Director: Rodrigo Triana
Producer: Caracol TV
“Eva Lasting”
Director: Monica Botero, Laura Tatiana Bojórquez
Producer: Caracol/Netflix
“Fake Profile” Season 3
Producer: Krich Lopez, Camilo Vega, TIS Studio/Netflix
“Fugage State 1986”
Director: Carlos Moreno, Claudia Pedraza
Producer: AG Studio/Netflix
“James Rodriguez”
Director: Simon Brand
Producer: Clover Studio/Netflix
“Just Alice”
Director: Rafael Martinez, Catalina Hernandez
Producer: RCN Studio/Netflix
“Medusa” Season 2
Director: Felipe Cano, Liliana Bocanegra
Producer: TIS Studio/Netflix
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” Season 2
Director: Laura Mora, Carlos Moreno
Producer: Dynamo/Netflix
“palace”
Director: Jayro Bustamante, Edgar Nito, Samir Olivarez
Producer: Dynamo/Netflix
“Pelayo. I’m at my limit.”
Director: David Miralles
Producer: Jaguar Bite/Buendia Estudios
“Señoras Mar”
Director: Ronaldo Ocampo Henao, Pepe Castro, Magaby Garcia
Production: Teleset/Sony Pictures
“The 39”
Director: Max Lemke, Jorge Saavedra
Producer: Sequoya Studio
“The Guest”
Director: Krich Lopez, Israel Sanchez
Producer: CMO/Netflix
“The wind blows in December”
Director: Claudia Pedraza, Rafael Martinez
Producer: Dynamo/Netflix
Palace, presented by Netflix
