Venezuela

INDUSTRY INFORMATION

The film industry like much of what happens in Venezuela is a controversial project. President Hugo Chavez wants to break what he calls “the dictatorship of Hollywood”, by using the Villa del Cine, or Cinema City, a state-of-the-art production house that is changing the face of Venezuelan cinema, to make movies that better reflect the values and beliefs he is promoting through his socialist revolution.

Filmmakers seem torn between working for the state with its huge resources and opportunities, and making a stand against what they see as the erosion of independent art. The government does not take criticism well and it has cut its links with a number of the artistic organizations that represent industry insiders.

In regards to locations, Venezuela is an incredible cornucopia of cascading waterfalls, mighty rivers, dense jungles, tropical rain forests, gorgeous seas, stunning coastlines, towering mountains, seemly endless plains and savannahs, deserts and extensive sand dunes as well as urban landscapes.

An equipment rental facility has been in Caracas for over 50 years and offers 16mm, Super 16mm or 35mm, or video and provides leading edge technology as well as cameras, grip, lighting and accessories.

A foreign production will find a high quality crew base, experienced service companies as well as some of the best casting opportunities in Latin America.

Tax Incentives: There are neither direct, financial incentives nor tributaries, for audio-visual foreign productions to being realized in Venezuela. Nevertheless, in case of joint productions between Venezuelan producers and of other countries, there are signed agreements of Cooperation with certain financial and tributary incentives.

Film Commissions: Venezuela Film Commission, Mildred Medina, Film Commissioner, filmcommission@cnac.gob.ve, mmedina@cnac.gob.ve, www.cnac.gob.ve

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

Unions: There are not any audiovisual trade unions or Union rules and no established or regulated rates for salaries paid to technical personnel. So that, producers negotiate the professional services required for their projects directly with personnel.

TOPOGRAPHY, WEATHER, TRANSPORTATION & MAIN CITIES

Topography: Venezuela is part of Caribbean South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana. It is situated on major sea and air routes linking North and South America. Located at the northernmost end of South America, Venezuela has a total area of 916,445 square kilometers and a land area of 882,050 square kilometers, about twice the size of California. Shaped roughly like an inverted triangle, the country has a 2,800-kilometer coastline and is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by Guyana, on the south by Brazil, and on the west by Colombia.

It has four fairly well-defined regions: the Maracaibo lowlands in the northwest, the northern mountains extending in a broad east-west arc from the Colombian border along the Caribbean Sea, the wide Orinoco plains (llanos) in central Venezuela, and rank highly dissected Guiana highlands in the southeast. The mountains bordering the Caribbean Sea are actually the northeastern most extension of the Andes chain.

The Maracaibo lowlands form a large spoon-shaped oval bounded by mountains on three sides and open to the Caribbean on the north and is remarkably flat. Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in Latin America occupies much of the lower-lying territory. Areas around the southern part of Lake Maracaibo are swampy.

Angel Falls (the world’s highest waterfall) is located in the Guiana Highlands; it stands at 2,421 feet, (751 m) or more than 12 times the height of America’s and Canada’s Niagara Falls.

Weather: Located entirely within the tropics, Venezuela’s climate is tropical, hot and humid. The rainy season extends from (June – October) and the dry season from (November – May).  From (May – September) the hottest months, daily highs approach 90º F, while in January, the coldest month, daily highs average in the low 60s.

As always, high and low temperatures within a country vary according to elevation; here coastal and lowland areas are hot throughout the year, while the highlands are more moderate. Caracas, situated on the edges of the Avila Mountain range, has an average daily high temperature of 72° F, with very little seasonal variation.

Transportation: Venezuela possesses a relatively well-integrated transportation network that far exceeds that of most its South American neighbors. Roads are the primary means of transportation for both passengers and cargo, and the country has the highest percentage of paved highways in Latin America. The airport that serves Caracas is Maiquetia International Airport (Simon Bolivar). It is a modern airport that connects Caracas to the main cities of the nation and many other cities in south, central and north America. However, Venezuela now has a broad network of inner air links and in some cases it is no longer necessary to pass by the main airport of Caracas to reach your next destination. Small planes are used to serve the remote camps and spots of the Amazon and the Lost World.

The only ferry connections link the mainland with Margarita, Venezuela’s biggest island. In Caracas there are two main public transportation methods: The Caracas Metro System and Buses. The Caracas Metro System is the most important public transportation method in the city. The system includes four main underground lines and several secondary bus routes.

Main Cities:

Caracas: Officially known as Santiago de León de Caracas, it is the capital and largest city of Venezuela. It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range (Cordillera de la Costa). The valley’s temperatures are spring like and it is close to the Caribbean Sea, separated from the coast by a steep 2200 m (7400 ft) high mountain range, Cerro Ávila; to the south there are more hills and mountains. El Distrito Metropolitano de Caracas (Metropolitan District of Caracas) includes the Distrito Capital (the capital city proper) and four other municipalities in Miranda State including Chacao, Baruta, Sucre, and El Hatillo. El Hatillo is a colonial town located at the southeast suburbs of Caracas in the municipal area of the same name. This small town, which is one of Venezuela’s few well-preserved typical colonial areas, gives an idea of what Caracas was like in centuries past.

Caracas is also a cultural center. The museum of modern art, is one of the most important in south America and you can appreciate high quality works. Every year Caracas hosts an international Theater Festival, where groups from all over the world meet. In Caracas the staggering inequalities of wealth that characterize Venezuela’s economic situation are on display. They range from very poor neighborhoods in the hills west of the city called “barrios”, to the modern business district of El Rosal, or even the huge mansions of the rich eastern neighborhoods.

The city’s streets and highways are always crowded with vehicles, as Venezuela has the cheapest gasoline in the world (at about $0.12/gallon). Subsidized gasoline and inadequate infrastructure have helped spur pollution and big traffic lines in almost all of the inner city motorways. Nevertheless Caracas’ subway system is one of the best in all Latin America.

Maracaibo: The second-largest city in Venezuela is a large metropolitan city, comprising of two municipalities: to the north the municipality of Maracaibo and to the south the San Francisco municipality. The city of Maracaibo is located at the denominated Maracaibo plain. It has low fertility, typical of a dry-tropical forest. It presents a great number of rivers, sewers and gorges. The city dominates the entrance to Lake Maracaibo.

Culture in Maracaibo is very indigenous and autochthonous, is recognized in every state and city in Venezuela, and is very influential with its gaitas, desserts, style, living, and customs. Most major houses of advertising in Venezuela acknowledge how opposite the culture of Maracaibo is from that of Caracas.

Valencia: This is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela. The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela’s top industries and manufacturing companies. Valencia is located in a central valley, surrounded by a mountain range called the Coastal Range (Cordillera de la Costa). On the eastern outskirts of the city lies Lake Valencia, Venezuela’s second largest lake. To the West and Northeastern part there are mountains. The South is an extension of the Venezuelan grasslands, the Llanos.

Isla Margarita: A small Caribbean paradise that belongs to the province of Nueva Esparta, historically, Isla Margarita has been a place where pirates have passes and was an important point in the Venezuelan independence. Nonetheless in the 20th century Isla Margarita turned towards tourism, the main fountain of richness and today’s main source of income. With a population of 400,000 inhabitants, the island of Isla Margarita, known as the Pearl of the Caribbean, has a tropical climate and idyllic beaches. There are at least 50 unique and magnificent margarita beaches, which are scattered along 106 miles of coastline and range from crowded to solitary and most of them virgin. The capital is La Asunción, located in a river valley of the same name.

PEOPLE, CULTURE & SAFETY

People: With approximately 28 million people, Venezuela is the sixth-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. More than ninety percent of the Venezuelans live in urban areas — a figure significantly higher than the world average. The literacy rate (98 percent) in Venezuela is also well above the world average, and the rate of population growth is slightly higher than the world average. Also, a large proportion of Venezuelans are young, largely because of recent decreases in the infant mortality rate.

The country has a diverse population that reflects its colorful history and the peoples that have populated here from ancient times to the present. The historic amalgam of the different main groups forms the basics of Venezuela’s current demographics: European immigrants, Amerindian peoples, Africans, Asians, Middle Easterners and other recent immigrants. Many of the indigenous peoples were absorbed into the mestizo population, but the remaining 500,000 currently represent over eighty-five distinct cultures. About 68% 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 10% is black, or of mixed black African and European ancestry, while 2% is Amerindian ancestry. Pure indigenous Amerindians comprise 1 percent of the population.

There are at least 40 languages around Venezuela, but Spanish is the language spoken by the majority of Venezuelans.

Culture: Venezuela is a young, cosmopolitan country: 70% of the population is under 30, and it is Latin America’s most mixed-race country. A large number of immigrants from Europe, the Antilles, the Equatorial region, Peru and Columbia came to Venezuela during the petrol boom. It is a society of contrasts, mixing insolent riches and extreme poverty, a very Americanized lifestyle (baseball is the national sport) and traditions inherited from the Spanish conquistadors.

Venezuelans are infamous in South America for their easy-going nature and fun-loving spirit. Their national mythology hails back to the days when independent and rugged settlers tamed the lawlessness of the llanos, a heritage not unlike that of the American West.

Venezuela has a strong folk and popular culture. Amongst the Indian groups are the Caribbeans, the Arawaks, the Chibchas and the Tupis-Guarnis. Their culture was profoundly changed by the work of missionaries. The most famous are without doubt the Yanomamis, a semi-nomadic people who live on horseback on the Brazilian border. The Great Plains of Venezuela are the domain of the llaneros, cowboy guardians of the flock who love to use their lasso. Rodeos are an excuse for huge barbecues (asados) where the riders, wearing white linen suits, stetsons and boots, dance the joropo to the sound of the harp and the harmonica.

Venezuela has a never-ending love of the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants, so the cult of Beauty and appearance holds a primary role. Venezuelans are amongst the world’s biggest consumers of makeup, beauty and deodorant products.

Due to its location in the world, its diversity of industrial resources and the cultural diversity of the Venezuelan people, Venezuelan cuisine often varies greatly from one region to another; however, its cuisine, traditional as well as modern, has strong ties to its European ancestry as well as a blend of African and Native American traditions.

Safety : Violence by narcoterrorist groups and other criminal elements continues to affect all parts of the country, urban and rural, including border areas. Citizens of the United States and other countries continue to be victims of threats, kidnappings, and other criminal acts.

Crime, and in particular violent crime is a serious problem in Caracas. Visitors are advised to register with their embassy. The police have resorted to the use of use remote-controlled Zeppelins to monitor the streets below.