Costa Rica

Industry Information - On average 100 film and video projects are shot yearly in Costa Rica. And since 1990 nearly 250 foreign films, commercials and music videos have been shot in the country. Among them Ridley Scotts’ ‘Conquest of Paradise’, Frank Marshall’s ‘Congo’ and Lia Pool`s ‘The Blue Butterfly.’ and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams. Costa Rica has also been popular with reality shows like ‘Temptation Island’, ‘Survivor’ and recently ‘I am a Celebrity Get Me out of Here’.

The Film Industry in the country is the biggest in Central America, the main attraction for foreign producers are the beautiful locations.

Tax Incentives – Companies that are located within the Free Trade Zone in Costa Rica can provide several tax and customs benefits to productions independent of their size or type of production, including: no sales taxes, currently 13%, on goods and services at the point of purchase, including hotels and catering, total tax exemption on the importation of materials and supplies required for a production, expedited customs for the temporary importation of equipment and full exemption of customs bonds.

Union info – Non-Union crews and no minimums on foreign crews,

Film commissions? – No film commission but the government through ProComer is  very supportive of film activities in Costa Rica.

Passport/Visa requirements – Visitors from the following countries are allowed to stay for 90 days without a visa: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, United States and all European countries except from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Czech Republics, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia. Visitors from these countries are allowed to stay for 30 days without a visa: Australia, Belize, China, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, The Philippines and Venezuela.

Topography, Weather, Transportation & Main Cities

• Most of Costa Rica is rugged highlands, about 900 to 1,800 m (about 3,000 to 6,000 ft) above sea level.
• Several mountain ranges extend nearly the entire length of the country. These include the Cordillera de Talamanca, Cordillera Central, and Cordillera de Guanacaste.
• A central plateau, the Meseta Central, is located between the ranges and contains the bulk of the population. Wide lowlands extend along the almost unintended Caribbean coast.
• The lowlands along the Pacific are narrower. Here the coast is broken by a number of bays, the chief ones being the landlocked Gulf of Nicoya, the deep, open Gulf of Dulce, and Coronado Bay. The principal stream of Costa Rica is the San Juan River, which forms part of the country’s boundary with Nicaragua to the north.

Weather – The Costa Rican climate is among the finest in the world. Seasonal variations in Costa Rica’s weather are typically quite minimal, and the average temperature is a very comfortable 74°. During the months of December, January, and February, the northerly breeze brings with it the faintest echo of the North American winter, but otherwise; the weather patterns are quite temperate and predictable year-round.

The greater deviation in temperatures and humidity comes from either the elevation, or from the distance to the ocean. The rainy or “green” season lasts from May through November. The Costa Rican locals refer to this season as their winter due to the heavier than usual amount of precipitation. Rainstorms usually occur in mid-afternoon, and are usually brief, torrential downpours.

Transportation – Railroad lines in Costa Rica total 424 km (263 mi) and link San José with both coasts. Roads total 35,881 km (22,295 mi); some 680 km (some 425 mi) of roadway forms a portion of the Inter-American Highway. San José is linked by road with the cities of the surrounding plateau region. Several domestic airlines provide service within the country. Juan Santamaría Airport, which is located near San José, is served by the Costa Rican national airline and several foreign airlines.

Main Cities

San Jose – Sprawling smack in the middle of the fertile Valle Central, San Jose has a spectacular setting, ringed by the jagged silhouettes of soaring mountains – some of them volcanoes – on all sides. In the gridlocked centre things are wearingly hectic, with vendors of fruit, lottery tickets and cigarettes jostling on street corners, and thousands of shoe stores tumbling out onto the sidewalks.

San José is not only a reassuringly safe place but also vibrant and cosmopolitan, with a sprinkling of excellent museums , some elegant buildings and landscaped parks, good cafés and the odd intriguing art gallery. San José is also a surprisingly green and open city, with small, carefully landscaped parks and plazas punctuating the centre of town.

Heredia – Just 11km northeast of San José is the lively town of Heredia , boosted by the student population of the Universidad Nacional (UNA) at the eastern end of town. The town centre is prettier than most, with a few historical buildings, though a bit run-down. Heredia’s layout conforms to the usual grid system, centered on the quiet Parque Central, draped with huge mango trees and overlooked by the plain Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción , whose unexcitingly squat design – “seismic Baroque” – has kept it standing through several earthquakes since 1797. North of the Parque, the old colonial tower of El Fortín , “The Fortress”, features odd gun slats which fan out and widen from the inside to the exterior, giving it a medieval look.

People – Ticos, as Costa Ricans are commonly known, are famous for being hospitable, and are quite happy to live up to their reputation. They are a polite, well-educated and gregarious people, who are quick with a handshake and a smile. Population – 4 million / Urban/Rural: 54% urban,46 % rural / Sex Distribution: 50.5% male, 49.5% female Language – Spanish (official); English Ethnicity – White (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

• A majority of the people of Costa Rica are of European (largely Spanish) descent.
• Whites and mestizos (people of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry) account for about 94 percent of the population;
• The small black community is largely of Jamaican origin.
• Spanish is the official language, but English is also spoken by many educated people and some of the ethnic Jamaicans.

Culture - Costa Rica, with a relatively small Native American population, has been strongly influenced by the culture and traditions of Spain. Native American and African American influences have had relatively little impact. The Roman Catholic cultural pattern of Spain, with emphasis on the family and the church, has evolved into a national style of life. Festivals in honor of patron saints are a colorful part of village and town life. The guitar, accordion, and mandolin have traditionally been the most popular musical instruments, and the music reflects a Spanish heritage. Traces of the Native American culture survive in designs used in jewelry, leather goods, and clothing.

Safety – Costa Rica is generally considered a very safe country, and what crime does exist tends to be opportunistic rather than violent. The main thing travelers have to worry about is pick pocketing. In downtown San José people need to be wary at all times, as in other main cities anywhere.