Panama Film Commission Logo / Photo Credit: Panama Film Commission
PANAMA CINEMA… (In the Entertainment
industry. History of Panama Cinema)
Bruce
Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.
Panama Cinema
All permits, locations and police requests must come
through the Panama Film Commission Office.
Panama Film Commission
Festival Internacional de Cine Panama
Emerge Film Solutions
Following information on Panama Film & Photography
Production Services provided by Emerge Film Solutions.
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production
company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in
Panama? We have fully vetted, locally based fixers, service producers,
directors, DP’s, videographers, cameramen, photographers, sound operators,
production drivers, and a range of other film crew. Contact us for referrals,
questions, cost estimates and references.
Want to know more about shooting in Panama? See below for
an introduction to Panama locations, permits, when to shoot, costs, talent,
crews, equipment, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work
permits, film friendly hotels, transport, communications and safety advice.
Panama Film Locations
Panama City offers a beautiful modern skyline, Spanish
colonial buildings, new subway system, and a modern container port. Biomuseo,
Frank Gehry’s first work in Latin America, adds a splash of color to the city.
Travelling from Panama City you can reach the Panama Canal
within a few minutes, rainforests within 30 minutes, rivers and mountains
within 45 minutes, beaches within 1 hour, and volcanoes with 2 hours.
The palm-lined, white sand, aqua marine San Blas Islands
are 2 hours by boat or 20 minutes by air. Also on the Caribbean side lies Bocas
del Toro, an ex-banana plantation turned paradise resort. On the Pacific side
you can find pristine Coiba Island, a former penal colony, now nature reserve.
Isla Escudo de Veraguas is home to the pygmy sloth.
Panama’s agricultural looks of interest include banana,
pineapple and coffee plantations.
Panama City is the capital and main entry point by air.
Panama has played host to productions such as James Bond:
Quantum of Solace and Hands of Stone.
Panama Film Location Permits
Film friendly government agencies. Most public locations
are free but require a permit that usually takes up to 48 hours to process.
Permits for filming in national parks can be quite expensive depending on the
type of production. Please contact us for more location specific information.
When to Shoot?
Panama has a tropical climate. Temperatures in mountain
areas and on the Pacific side tend to be lower than on the Caribbean. The dry
season runs from December to May. This is the best time to film for weather.
The rest of the year is rainy, with the greatest intensity of rain during the
months of October and November. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Festivals and events of interest to filmmakers and
photographers include:
Chiriqui Highlands Flower and Coffee Festival in January.
Panamanian carnival in February.
Semana Santa in March / April.
Bocas Del Toro Sea Fair in September.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs.
See here for public holiday dates in Panama.
Costs & Tax Incentives
Costs. Panama uses the USD as legal tender. The greatest
cost is the need to bring in your specialized equipment and possibly your key
crew but that is offset by the relatively low cost of locations, talent,
supporting crew, transportation, accommodation and meals. Panama is generally
slightly more expensive than other Central American countries, but less
expensive than Costa Rica. Our Panamanian service producer / fixer packages
will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production
support to match every budget.
Tax Incentives. Panama offers a 15% cash rebate on local
production spend. The full rebate can be escrowed upfront with the bond company
to cash flow the production. Requirements include a minimum $3 million spend.
The incentive program covers feature films, television pilots, television
series (broadcast and cable), television commercials, music videos,
industrials, documentaries, video game design and creation, and other forms of
content.
Panama also offers tax incentives such as tax-free
temporary importation of all film equipment with no deposit required, as well
as no payroll tax.
For more information on financial incentives visit the
Panama Film Commission.
Film Crew & Talent
Crews. Panama has a very small pool of local directors,
directors of photography and stills photographers. Panama also has a small
depth of good, fast working crews most of which speak English. Since it is
still a small, developing production centre it may be necessary to bring in key
crew depending on the availability of local crews.
Contact us if you are looking for a Panama City based
director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera
assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and
makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot
in Panama.
Talent day rates and buyouts are negotiable. Day rates are
very reasonable and negotiated on a personal basis.
Panama offers mainly International-Latin and Amerindian
looks. Several ethnic groups exist including the unique, colorful Kuna Indians
that live on the picturesque San Blas Islands, or the Embera people who live in
Darien Province. With the existence of the Panama Canal there is also a sizable
community of US and European citizens. Panama’s close proximity to major US
production centers allows easy access to those pools of multicultural talent
should you need to look further.
Panama Film Equipment
Only basic camera, lighting and grip equipment is
available locally. Local production companies have their own equipment and
share when necessary. The overall stock of equipment is quite small. All
specialized equipment and operators are required to be brought in from abroad.
Miami is the closest major production centre. Mexico and Colombia also have a
range of equipment and are cheaper alternatives than bringing equipment from
the US.
Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production
Art department and set construction is impressive in Panama.
Local crews have built sets for Survivor, MTV’s Road Rules Challenge, and James
Bond: Quantum of Solace.
Studios. Only basic facilities belonging to local TV
stations exist.
Backlots. At present no backlots exist in Panama.
Post Production. Best to post abroad.
Visas & Work Permits
Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin.
Western passport holders can enter Panama visa-free for stays of up to 180
days. Visiting productions receive free work permits and reduced costs on
multiple entry visas. Contact your local Panamanian embassy or representative
for more information.
Transport & Accommodation
Transportation. Roads are in an excellent condition.
Beaches and mountains have good paved highway access. Rural roads are slower
going with some becoming impassable during the rainy season. Several
international airlines service Panama on a daily basis.
Accommodation. Recommended film friendly hotels in Panama
City include:
Finisterre Suites
Radisson Decapolis Hotel
Sheraton
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Final Notes
Safety. Panama is one of the safest countries in the
region. See here for up to date travel advice.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills
campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content,
feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Panama.
Sources,
References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked
In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The
Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative
Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film
Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of
Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, International Film
Festival Panama, Variety, Emerge Film Solutions, Panama Film Commission,
THIS ARTICLE
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Panama Film
Commission Logo / Photo Credit: Panama Film Commission
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