2018 is going to be another strong year for productions filming abroad. Below are our top 10 countries to film in 2018…
10. Canada
Long a place for runaway US productions, Canada remains a great option for your next production. With the exception of Red Square and the Sahara Desert looks, Canadian locations can double anywhere on the planet. Equipment, studios and post production facilities are state of the art. Crews are second to none. Talent is multicultural. As well as each province offering financial incentives the strong USD to CAD exchange rate gives visiting productions additional savings.
9. Thailand
Famous for its limestone islands, white sand beaches, exotic street markets and temples, Thailand has hosted productions such as The Deer Hunter, The Beach, and Star Wars III. More recently a 15% cash rebate has spurred a new wave of visiting shoots.
8. Colombia
Much safer than years ago and rich in its diversity of locations, Colombia continues to attract productions from around the world. As well as being generally inexpensive, Colombia also offers a visiting productions a generous cash rebate of 40% for film services and 20% for film logistics services.
7. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan offers more adventurous productions a wealth of ancient architecture, unique cultures, and unspoilt nature.
6. Egypt
The land of the pharaohs, Egypt, is a bucket-list must for all travelling productions. With tourism still recovering, the USD is very strong against the Egyptian pound, offering visiting shoots a window of opportunity for significant cost savings.
5. Paraguay
In a world where everyone has already filmed everywhere, Paraguay still remains an unexplored film destination. Local prices are very low and although there is no official tax incentive, authorities are very open to assisting any production that helps promote the country.
4. Philippines
Trending as a tourism destination, the Philippines is also seeing a commensurate rise in visiting film and photography shoots. With over 7,000 islands, check out what the Philippines has to offer your next production.
3. Portugal
Known for its sunny locations and excellent modern film infrastructure, Portugal has long been a popular destination for commercial productions. In an effort to attract more film productions, as of March 2018 Portugal will be offering an increased refundable tax credit of up to 30%.
2. South Korea
World events will be a major factor in bringing in productions to South Korea in 2018 – be it documentary makers reporting on the continuing tensions with North Korea, or commercial directors filming ads for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. As well as newly constructed Olympic venues, Korea has several other recently built structures such as the impressive Skygarden and Lotte World Tower, which are bound to attract filmmakers from around the world. Korea is a high-tech society with a vibrant film and photography infrastructure. In terms of financial incentives, Korea offers qualifying productions a cash rebate of up to 25%. Korea has recently hosted productions such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, Okja, Star Trek Beyond, and Sense8.
1. Saint Martin
Hit hard by Hurricane Irma, Saint Martin is open for business. Do your part in helping the island recover.
Production Support
Feel free to contact us if you are planning to film in any of these and are looking for locally based production service support including producers and fixers. We are also able to refer directors, DP’s, videographers, VR 360 shooters, and photographers if you are looking to hire locally.
