The good news keeps coming for Colombia’s audiovisual industry, most recently with a report that its 2025 Audiovisual Investment Certificate (CINA) quota was fully allocated by mid-September, an unprecedented milestone.
This 35% transferable tax credit incentive, introduced in 2012 alongside the Colombia Film Fund, has been luring a growing number of projects, with Netflix increasingly investing in more series and features. Its most ambitious — and expensive — project to date in Latin America has taken place in Colombia with the series adaptation of Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s magnum opus “One Hundred Years of Solitude” debuting last year. The second and final season is currently in post and is set to premiere next year.
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Courtesy of Netflix
“I think the fact that we’re launching the final seasons of several shows in a single year shows how deeply established we are in the industry — it reflects years of steady growth, cadence and consistency,” says Francisco Ramos, Netflix VP of Latin American content.
In response to growing demand, three major studios in Colombia — RCN, Caracol and TIS Studios — have been opening their soundstages to more outside work. TIS Studios, 75% owned by Paramount, recently saw Todd Yellin’s “52nd State” make use of its facilities.
Zack Snyder, renowned for such big-budget movies as “300,” “Man of Steel” and “Justice League,” wrapped filming in Colombia of his passion project “The Last Photograph” in October. He was more than impressed by how quickly the local crew and talent adapted to his fast-paced shooting style.
Filming in Bogota, Chingaza National Park and the Amazon, Snyder was not only directing but served as his own DP and camera operator, where he averaged 40 setups a day, he tells Variety. The only people who accompanied him were his gaffer, his first assistant camera, producer and still photographer; the rest were local hires arranged by production services company Jaguar Bite. All his equipment was rented in Colombia except for his trusty Arri Alexa 265 digital camera.
Zack Snyder, Behind the Scenes, The Last Photograph Credit: Clay Enos
“It’s a more intimate movie in scope and scale but it doesn’t really matter how big it is, it’s still the same amount of work, if not more,” he says. His newly launched Instagram account, featuring behind-the- scenes shots while filming in Colombia, quickly amassed 250,000-plus followers in a few weeks.
“My experience working in Colombia was a really positive one. The main takeaway for me, though, was how extraordinary I found the talent. The actors — both male and female — that I had the opportunity to work with from Colombia were truly exceptional,” says Kiefer Sutherland, who stars in Justin Chadwick’s “Sierra Madre,” which was also serviced by Jaguar Bite and shot in Colombia last year.
Kiefer Sutherland in Sierra Madre Credit: Walter Gómez Urrego
Walter Gomez Urrego
Says Colombian Film commissioner Silvia Echeverri: “We are seeing a growing interest from studios in producing increasingly larger projects in Colombia, which is generating infrastructure in the country to make them possible.
“The studios have recognized the capacity of our production service companies and our technical and artistic teams to carry out projects that, in the past, were only produced in Mexico and Brazil,” she points out.
To attract large-scale shoots, it would help if Colombia provided above-the-line incentives, says Jaguar Bite’s production VP Juan Pablo Solana, who notes that some projects have gone to Australia, despite the distance and expense, because of this perk. Aside from “The Last Photograph” and “Sierra Madre,” Jaguar Bite has serviced the bilingual Indian political thriller “White,” among others. “Working with filmmakers of such high caliber, has helped us up our game,” he says.
“We can now be proud that we have excellent cinematographers, art directors, costume designers and makeup artists who are on par with the best talent in Europe and the U.S. And that’s something that foreign productions immediately notice when they come to the country — the quality of the local resources we have,” says Daniel Hernández Bocanegra, director general of Secuoya Latin America, which aside from providing production services, recently began producing its own originals, starting with historical drama series “The 39,” now on Prime Video Latin America.
The 39, Courtesy of Secuoya Studios
Camila Castillo
“There’s a lot of confidence in the incentives, and production costs in Colombia are naturally lower compared to Europe, the United States and even Mexico. And the talent has gained experience that inspires trust and places us on the same level as any other production hub in the world,” he says.
A clear sign of this growing confidence is the recent launch of Cimarrón’s Colombian branch — the company that provided production services for the Oscar-nominated “Society of the Snow” — as part of parent company the Mediapro Studio’s strategic expansion in the region.
Without a doubt, Colombia’s increased productivity has led to new heights. In 2025, the CINA incentive approved 32 additional projects, with an estimated investment of $188 million. Altogether, projects approved through CINA have generated $861 million in accumulated investment and more than 130,000 direct jobs since its inception.
And people are watching. Research firm Omdia reports that in late 2024, Netflix’s Spanish-language content logged 2.59 billion hours, with Colombia leading Latin America at 24.6%, second only to Spain’s 38.7%.
Moreover, promotional entity Proimágenes reports that audiovisual production has strongly boosted Colombia’s economy, generating over 570,000 hotel nights and 30,000 airline tickets, benefiting tourism and services nationwide. Incentivized projects now span 24 departments and 153 municipalities, reflecting broad regional impact.
Some recent and upcoming projects shooting in Colombia, with production service company listed before producer:
Features
“Atrápelo quien pueda”
Director: Alfonso Pineda Ulloa
Producers: Mediapro/Cimarron Cine Mexico, Telemundo Studios, Cinépolis
“52nd State”
Director: Todd S. Yellin
Producers: Jaguar Bite/ Pura Vida Films
“Coyotes”
Director: Colin Minihan
Producers: Jaguar Bite/Capstone Studios, Gramercy Park Media
“La celda de los milagros”
Director: Ana Lorena Pérez Ríos
Producers: Secuoya Studios and Black Sheep Prods. (in production)
“La Corona”
Producers: Secuoya Studios/ Black Sheep Prods./Startling/Infinity Hill (in development)
“Lost in the Jungle”
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Juan Camilo Cruz, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Producers: Jaguar Bite/Lightbox/Pacha
“Sierra Madre”
Director: Justin Chadwick
Producers: Jaguar Bite/Highland Film Group/Aligns
“Susana and Elvira”
Director: María Gamboa
Producers: Púlsar Studios/Netflix
“The Last Photograph”
Director: Zack Snyder
Producers: Jaguar Bite/No Flags Attached
“White”
Director: Monto Bassi
Jaguar Bite/Peacecraft Picture
Series
“Betty, la fea: The Story Continues,” Season 3
Producers: RCN/Amazon Prime
“En qué lío me metí”
Director: Rodrigo Triana
Producer: Caracol TV
“Eva Lasting”
Directors: Mónica Botero, Laura Tatiana Bohórquez
Producers: Caracol/Netflix
“Fake Profile,” Season 3
Producers: Klitch López, Camilo Vega, TIS Studios/Netflix
“Fugue State 1986”
Directors: Carlos Moreno, Claudia Pedraza
Producers: AG Studios/Netflix
“James Rodríguez”
Director: Simon Brand
Producers: Clover Studios/Netflix
“Just Alice”
Directors: Rafael Martínez, Catalina Hernández
Producers: RCN Studios/Netflix
“Medusa,” Season 2
Directors: Felipe Cano, Liliana Bocanegra
Producers: TIS Studios/Netflix
“One Hundred Years of Solitude,” Season 2
Director: Laura Mora, Carlos Moreno
Producers: Dynamo/Netflix
“Palace”
Directors: Jayro Bustamante, Edgar Nito, Samir Olivares
Producers: Dynamo/Netflix
“Pelayo. Más allá del límite”
Director: David Miralles
Producers: Jaguar Bite/ Buendia Estudios
“Señoras mal”
Directors: Ronaldo Ocampo Henao, Pepe Castro, Magaby García
Producers: Teleset/Sony Pictures
“The 39”
Directors: Max Lemcke, Jorge Saavedra
Producer: Secuoya Studios
“The Guest”
Directors: Klitch López, Israel Sánchez
Producers: CMO/Netflix
“The Winds Blow in December”
Directors: Claudia Pedraza, Rafael Martínez
Producers: Dynamo/Netflix
Palace, Courtesy of Netflix
