Colombia

INDUSTRY INFORMATION

The cinema of Colombia has struggled to develop a solid industry throughout its history. But in 1997 the Colombian congress approved the General Law of Culture with the purpose of supporting and complementing the development of the movie industry in Colombia by creating a cinematography promotion mixed fund called Corporación PROIMAGENES en Movimiento. In the 2000s actress Catalina Sandino Moreno was nominated for an Academy Award for her acting in the Colombian American production Maria full of Grace.

Love in the Time of Cholera is a 2007 motion picture directed by Mike Newell helped put Colombia back on the international film industry map. Based on the novel of the same name by Gabriel García Márquez, it tells the story of a love triangle between a woman and her two suitors, which spans 50 years, from 1880 to 1930. Much of the film takes place in the historic, walled city of Cartagena. Some screen shots showed the Magdalena River and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range.

In 2009, Colombia saw the films Broken Kingdom and Cartagena use their spectacular locations. In addition to features, big-name companies, such as Fox, Sony and Disney, have also set up operations in Colombia, along with the Fox TV series “Mental,” which is set in L.A. but is shot in Bogotá. Every year around thirty international commercial spots for major brands are filmed.

Colombia has low production costs, especially when it comes to food and lodging, locations, transportation and travel, specialized local talent, extras, equipment rentals, and studios (television, audio recording studios, etc.)

Tax Incentives: Colombia currently offers a 42-percent film incentive for local films, however certain Colombian co-producers working in association with foreign producers shall be eligible for incentives included in Colombian film legislation. Current legislation requires Colombian participation in co-productions be at least 20% of the total cost of the film, and also requires a certain percentage of Colombian artistic participation. Additional details may be obtained from the Columbian Film Commission. Legislation has been written and is currently making its way through Congress that allows incentives for foreign productions.

Film Commissions: Colombian Film Commission – Silvia Echeverri, Film Commissioner www.filmingcolombia.com

Passport/Visa requirements: Passports are required from most major countries.

Unions: There are no audiovisual trade unions in Colombia and no established or regulated rates for salaries paid to technical personnel.  Producers negotiate the professional services required for their projects directly with personnel.

TOPOGRAPHY, WEATHER, TRANSPORTATION & MAIN CITIES

Topography: Colombia is characterized by containing five main natural regions that present their own unique characteristics, from the Andes mountain range region shared with Ecuador and Venezuela; the Pacific Ocean coastal region shared with Panama and Ecuador; the Caribbean Sea coastal region shared with Venezuela and Panama; the Llanos (plains) shared with Venezuela; to the Amazon Rainforest region shared with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. Colombia is one of only two South American countries that border both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Pacific coastal area is also characterized by jungle vegetation.

Colombia is located in the northwestern region of South America bordering to the east with Venezuela and Brazil; to the south with Ecuador and Peru; to the North with the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea; and to the west with Panama and the Pacific Ocean. Colombia is the 26th largest nation in the world and the fourth-largest country in South America after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Despite its large territory, Colombia’s population is not evenly distributed with most Colombians living in the mountainous western portion of the country as well as the northern coastline, most living in or near the capital city of Bogotá. The southern and eastern portions of the country are mostly sparsely inhabited tropical rainforest and inland tropical plains containing small farming communities and indigenous tribes.

Weather: The climate is characterized for being tropical and as a result of its geographical location near the Equator, it presents variations within the five natural regions depending on the altitude, temperature, humidity, winds and rainfall. Each region maintains an average temperature throughout the year only presenting variables determined by precipitation during a rainy season. The temperature does change with altitude, creating various climatic zones from hot lowlands to freezing Andean peaks

The altitude also affects the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. The higher the altitude, the greater the difference is in these temps. Consequently, in the highlands there can be warm days but freezing nights, while in the lowlands days and nights are almost equally hot.

Colombia has two seasons: dry or verano (literally ‘summer’) and wet or invierno (winter). The pattern of seasons varies in different parts of the country, and has been greatly affected over recent years by El Niño and La Niña. As a rough guideline only, in the Andean region there are two dry and two rainy seasons per year. The main dry season falls between December and March, with a shorter and less dry period between July and August. This general pattern has wide variations throughout the Andean zone.

In Bogota, the driest months are December, January, February and March. The warmest month is March, bringing a maximum of 19.7 °C (67.5 °F). The coolest nights occur in January, with an average of 5.4 °C (41.7 °F) in the city; temperatures can fall below freezing in the nearby towns causing frosts and fog in early morning. The rainiest months are April, May, September, October and November, in which typical days are mostly overcast, with low clouds and some winds.

Cartagena’s climate is typically Caribbean; its average annual temperature of 28°C changes very little. Although the days are hot, a fresh breeze blows in the evening. Theoretically, the driest period is from December to April, while October and November are the wettest months.

Transportation: There are regular international flights into the major cities as well as to other smaller cities in the borders with Venezuela, Ecuador, Panamá and Brazil.

There are daily direct flights to and from the U.S, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Spain, France, and South America. Taxis are regulated, reasonably priced and safe from the airports. A taxi ride from the airport to the central business district in Bogota, takes approximately 20 minutes.

The country has a well-maintained network of roads that connect all major cities in the Andean areas, as well as the ones in the Caribbean Coast. However, there are no major roads coming from 3 neighboring countries: Panamá, Brazil and Perú, no roads at all from Panamá, and there are only tiny roads between Colombia and Perú or Brazil. There may be significant landslides on roads and highways during the rainy season (November to February), by which traffic gets interrupted but is usually is resolved within 6 hours to 4 days. There are many toll crossings; the fee is about US$3.00. There are also plenty of dirt roads of variable quality. International land travel is only possible to Ecuador and Venezuela.

There is limited train service in Colombia. There is metro service in Medellin and its surroundings. Travel by bus is widespread and has different levels of quality. Long-distance trips rarely cost over US$55.00 (one way) The taxi networks in big cities such as in Bogota are extensive and very cheap. A (bright yellow) taxi journey across Bogota, can take up to a day but cost less than US$15.If you order a taxi by phone the company will then give you the taxi registration number. Then the taxi will be waiting at the given address.

Main Cities

Bogota: The capital city of Colombia, as well as the most populace city in the country has an estimated 7,304,384 inhabitants as of 2009. In terms of land area, Bogotá is the largest city in Colombia, one of the biggest of Latin America, figures in the 30th largest cities of the world, and its altitude (2,640 metres) makes it the third-highest capital city in the world, after La Paz and Quito.

Bogotá has 20 localities, or districts, forming an extensive network of neighborhoods. Areas of higher economic status tend to be located to the north and northeast. Poorer neighborhoods are located to the south and southeast, many of them squatter areas. The middle classes usually inhabit the central, western and northwestern sections of the city. The urban layout in the center of the city is based on the focal point of a square or plaza, typical of Spanish-founded settlements, but the layout gradually becomes more modern in outlying neighborhoods. The colonial buildings in Bogota have been maintained since the late nineteenth century, long after the independence of Colombia (1810). This persistence of the colonial setting is still visible, particularly in La Candelaria, the historical center of Bogotá. Also kept up are the colonial houses of two stories, with courtyards, gabled roofs, ceramic tiles and balconies.

Bogotá has worked heavily in recent years to position itself as leader in cultural offerings in South America, and it is increasingly being recognized worldwide as a hub in the region for the development of the arts. With its many universities and libraries, Bogotá has become known as “The Athens of South America”.

Medellín: The second largest city in Colombia, it is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.4 million. The position of Medellín as the top industrial city in Colombia has been a main factor in overcoming its crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. The metro as a massive urban transport service, became the pride of the city. The construction of the Plaza Mayor of Medellín, an international center for congresses and expositions, was designed to show the globalized economy of Colombia to the world. Medellín is today a modern city with a population of three million.

The former violence also served the purpose of demolishing the high social barriers that were the basis of many social evils. Today’s Medellín includes spaces for art, poetry, drama, the construction of public libraries, the foundation of new ecological parks, and the inclusion of people of the city in its development.

Medellín was once known as the most violent city in the world. This unenviable title was the result of an urban war set off by the drug cartels at the end of the 1980s. Throughout the 1990s the crime rates remained relatively high, although gradually declining from the worst years.

Cali: With a population of 2,232,158, Cali is the third largest city in the country. It has one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure in the country because of its geographical location and is noted more for its laid-back atmosphere and its Salsa scene. Founded in 1536 by Sebastian de Belalcazar, it was a sleepy little mountain town until the sugar and coffee industries brought prosperity to the region. After drug lord Pablo Escobar was killed in Medellín in 1993 and the Medellín Cartel fell apart, the remaining drug traffickers moved to Cali and formed the Cali Cartel. However, this too dissolved when the treasurer of the cartel fled to the US. Although the Cali Cartel officially is no longer a threat, drug trafficking still continues. The usual safety measures apply, and it is wise to take caution after dark.

The capital of the department of Valle del Cauca has become a mecca for tourism thanks to the beauty of its women, its historical sites, and a multitude of spots for day and night entertainment. Cali is one of the major economic and industrial centers of the country, and the main urban, economic, industrial, and agrarian city of southwest Colombia.

PEOPLE, CULTURE & SAFETY

People: Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are or a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians. Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico.

58% of the population is mestizo, or of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, while 20% are white of European ancestry and/or Middle Eastern ancestry. Another 14% is mulatto, or of mixed black African and European ancestry, while 4% is of black African ancestry and 3% are zambos, of mixed black African and Amerindian ancestry. Pure indigenous Amerindians comprise 1 percent of the population. Black Africans were brought as slaves, mostly to the coastal lowlands, beginning early in the 16th century, and continuing into the 19th century. Other immigrant populations include Asians and Middle Easterners, particularly Lebanese, Jordanians, Syrians, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.

More than two-thirds of all Colombians live in urban areas — a figure significantly higher than the world average. The literacy rate (94 percent) in Colombia is also well above the world average, and the rate of population growth is slightly higher than the world average. The country has a diverse population that reflects its colorful history and the peoples that have populated here from ancient times to the present. According to a survey in 2004, the people of Colombia are one of the happiest people of the world.

The official language of Colombia is Spanish. Some indigenous tribes in rural areas continue to speak their own languages, though most younger people from those tribes will be bilingual in their indigenous language and Spanish. There are 101 languages listed for Colombia in the Ethnologue database, of which 80 are spoken today as living languages. There are about 500,000 speakers of indigenous languages in Colombia today. The Colombian variety of Spanish is one of the clearest and easiest to understand.

Culture: Many aspects of Colombian culture can be traced back to the culture of Spain of the sixteenth century and its collision with Colombia’s native civilizations. The Spanish brought Catholicism, African slaves, the feudal encomienda system, and a caste system that favored European-born whites. The culture of Spain is still very dominant in Colombia: the layout of the towns, bull fighting, holy week processions and the “refined” dialect of Bogata are part of its legacy. Afro-Colombians have historically been marginalied from society. Nonetheless, they have contributed greatly to Colombian culture, including its music, dance and folklore.

The family is, as it is with nearly all of Latin America, a highly important institution to Colombians as engraved by the traditional Roman Catholic church teachings. Members of the extended family are close and children rarely move far away from their parents. There is a deep sense of familial responsibility that stretches through many generations.

There are regional differences in foods. In the interior rural regions, a hearty breakfast consists of a strip of pork, rice and beans, sweet plantains, and a large steak with fried eggs. Dinner is similar, except for the eggs. In the coastal region, the emphasis is on seafood. In Cartagena, the typical lunch consists of rice with coconut, fried plantains, and shrimp. Colombians enjoy a variety of national and international cuisines. Colombians consume large quantities of beer and coffee and relatively little milk or wine. Aguardiente combines local rum and a corn of sugar brandy.

The Colombian culture contains a variety of music genres. Song and dance accompanies the special events of common man’s life. Cumbia, one of the genres of Colombian music, is a blend of the African and the Spanish music. Salsa, born in Puerto Rica and Cuba, became popular in Colombia.

Safety : Though the security situation in Colombia has improved considerably in recent years, the threat of terrorism is still high in many parts of the country. In Bogotá, where the threat has decreased in recent years, indiscriminate attacks do still occur. The US State Department advises against all but essential travel to rural areas bordering Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador; the towns of Buenaventura and San José del Guaviare and the areas surrounding them; and to the Parque Nacional Natural de La Macarena in the department of Meta.  These areas are particularly dangerous due to the significant presence of illegal armed groups and high levels of coca cultivation. In general, the more remote the area is, the greater the threat to your safety is. If it is essential that you travel to areas that are remote or reported to be dangerous, you are advised to seek professional security advice and make arrangements for your security throughout your visit.