Colombia Film & Photography Production Services & Camera Crews
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in Colombia? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in Colombia
For an introduction to shooting in Colombia see below notes on film locations, permits, when to shoot, unique local stories, costs, tax incentives, crews, talent, fringes, premiums, equipment, communications, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation, and safety advice.
Colombia Film Locations
Colombia is a South American country known for its Andes mountains, Amazon jungle, and Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Colombia has an impressive variety of undiscovered locations including vibrant cities, Spanish colonial architecture, Amerindian ruins, beaches, islands, mountains, rainforest, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and deserts.
Agricultural film locations include cattle ranches and plantations of coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, corn, rice, palm oil, bananas, and cut flowers. Colombia’s equatorial location means most crops are in season all year round. Industrial film locations include oil and gas facilities, coal, nickel, gold, silver, platinum, and emerald mines. Colombia is a major producer of electronics. Energy locations include hydroelectric dams, and thermal-power plants.
Colombia has hosted films including The Amazing Race 32 (2020), Gemini Man (2019), American Made (2017), Narcos (2015-2017), The Amazing Race 28 (2016), The 33 (2015), Gallows Hill (2013), The Next Three Days (2010), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), and The Mission (1986).
Locations of interest to filmmakers and photographers can be divided into the following regions:
Andes
The mountainous, centrally located Andes region is the most populous region of Colombia. The Andes region includes the departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Distrito Capital, Huila, Norte de Santander, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, and Tolima.
Bogotá is Colombia’s capital and largest city. It is the main production service centre where most film crew and equipment are based. The city sits at the high altitude of 2,625m (8,612 ft). A sprawling, high-altitude city, there are several neighbourhoods of interest. La Candelaria is Bogotá’s historic district and home to Bolívar Square, Cathedral of Colombia, National Capitol, Teatro de Cristóbal Colón, Botero Museum, and Gold Museum. Chapinero is known for its fine dining and gay village. Zona Rosa is the nightclub district. Santa Fé-Los Mártires is the financial and bohemian district. Other film locations of note in Bogota include the Santamaría Bullring, Museo Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá Museum of Modern Art, Maloka Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art of Bogotá, Miguel Urrutia Art Museum, Military Museum of Colombia, Santuario Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Iglesia de San Francisco, La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, Luis Ángel Arango Library, Planetarium of Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño or Casa de Nariño, Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, José Celestino Mutis botanical garden, Parque 93, Salitre Magico amusement park, and Estadio El Campín. La Modelo is one of the world’s toughest prisons. Monserrate mountain overlooks Bogota.
Medellín is famous for its parks and plazas. Botero Plaza is known for the Museum of Antioquia, Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture, and sculptures by Fernando Botero. Other Medellín film locations of note include Berrío Park, Poblado Park, Luces Park, Parque de los Deseos, Museum of Modern Art, El Castillo Museum, Pablo Escobar Museum, Explora Park Museum, Memory House Museum, Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín, Jesús Emilio Ramírez González Planetarium of Medellín, Botanical Gardens, San Pedro Cemetery Museum, and Outdoor Escalator in Comuna 13. The El Poblado neighborhood known for its cafe culture. American Made (2017) filmed in Medellín.
Manzinales is known for Manizales Cathedral, Plaza de Bolivar, and Plaza de Toros de Manizales.
Gallows Hill (2013) filmed in Sesquilé.
The Salt Cathedral is located in Zipaquirá.
Nemocón doubled for Chile’s San José Mine in The 33 (2015).
Casa Terracota is a unique house made of clay located in Villa de Leyva.
Tequendama Falls Museum of Biodiversity and Culture is a museum and mansion in San Antonio del Tequendama.
The Colombian Aerospace Museum is located near Tocancipá.
Tatacoa Desert, known for its dry canyons, makes for an impressive Wild West film location.
Los Nevados National Park is a landscape of snow-capped volcanoes, glaciers, lakes and forests. The park is home to a diversity of birdlife.
El Cocuy National Park is an Andean park known for its snow-capped mountain peaks, glaciers, and mountain lakes.
Puracé is an active volcano located in Puracé National Natural Park.
Los Katíos National Natural Park is a landscape of low hills, forests and wet plains. The Tendal waterfall and Tilupo waterfall are located in the park. Wildlife of note includes Giant anteaters, Central American tapirs, and a diversity of birdlife.
Waterfalls of note in the Andes region include Tisquizoque Falls, La Chorrera Waterfall, Tequendama Falls, Salto del Mortino, Salto de Bordones, Salto del Duende, and La Cueva del Esplendor.
Ituango dam is Colombia’s largest hydroelectric facility.
Caribbean
The Caribbean region is located in the north of the country on the Caribbean coast. It includes the departments of Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena, and Sucre.
Cartagena is a port city known for its squares, cobblestone streets, and colourful Spanish colonial buildings. Film locations include the Walls of Cartagena, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, Cathedral of Cartagena, Convent of Santa Cruz de la Popa, Iglesia de San Pedro Claver, Palace of Inquisition, Las Bóvedas, Clock Tower Monument, Plaza de Santa Teresa, Parque Fernández Madrid, Centenario Park, Plaza de la Trinidad, Plaza de los Coches, Baluarte de Santo Domingo, Casa de Gabriel García Márquez, Museo Naval del Caribe, Playa De Bocagrande, Cartagena shipping container port, and a modern high-rise neighborhood. Gemini Man (2019), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), and The Mission (1986) filmed in Cartagena.
Just outside of Cartagena, the Rosario Islands, located in the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park, are known for their white sand beaches and turquoise waters.
Santa Cruz del Islote is one of the the world’s most densely populated islands with a population density four times that of Manhattan.
Barranquilla is a port city known for Plaza de San Nicolás, Plaza de la Paz, Maria Reina Metropolitan Cathedral, Museo del Caribe, Museo Romántico, Edificio García art deco building, and a shipping container port.
Santa Marta is known for Parque de los Novios, Catedral Basílica de Santa Marta, Bolivariano Museum of Contemporary Art, and La Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino. Nearby Playa El Rodadero has modern high-rise buildings lining the beach. Taganga Beach is a beautiful location that could easily double for Southern California.
Tayrona National Park covers an area from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the Caribbean coast. The park includes a diverse landscape including palm-shaded coves, coastal lagoons, and dense rainforest. The Amerindian ruins of Ciudad Perdida, known for their rainforest mountain terraces and circular plazas, are located in Tayrona National Park.
Pico Cristóbal Colón is the country’s highest peak.
La Guajira Desert, located in far northeastern Colombia, is known for its vast sand dunes, salt flats, stunning beaches, flamingo sanctuary, and large Wayuu indigenous population. The waters around Cabo de La Vela are a famous kitesurfing destination. Playa del Pilón de Azúcar is a beautiful beach.
Pacific
The Pacific region is located in the west of the country on the Pacific coast. It includes the departments of Cauca, Chocó, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca.
While the Caribbean coast offers white sand beaches and turquoise seas, the Pacific side has a more rugged coastline with dark sand and seas. The Pacific region sees some of the highest rainfall in the world which feed its many rivers and jungles.
Cali is a city known for salsa music. Film location of note include La Ermita church, La Tertulia Museum, Calima Gold Museum, and Cristo Rey.
Popayán is known for its whitewashed colonial buildings including the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, Church of La Ermita, Torre del Reloj, and Parque Caldas.
Las Lajas Sanctuary is a beautiful church located in a canyon over a river.
Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park is one of the best places in the world to film humpback whale calves.
Utría National Natural Park is a landscape of tropical forests, mangroves, lagoons, coral reefs, and beaches. The park is known for its nesting sea turtles and breeding humpback whales. July to November are the best months to film humpback whales.
Surf beaches on the Pacific coast include Playa Guachalito, Juanchaco, Cabo Corrientes, and El Valle.
Orinoco
The Orinoco region is located in the northeast of the country. This sparsely populated region is rich in oil and ranch land. It includes the departments of Arauca, Casanare, Meta, and Vichada.
Caño Cristales “river of five colors” is located in Serranía de la Macarena.
El Tuparro National Natural Park is known for the Maipures Rapids.
Chingaza National Natural Park is known for its glacial lakes. Wildlife of note includes spectacled bears, tapirs, pumas, jaguars, woolly monkeys, nocturnal monkeys, ocelots, Cock-of-the-rocks, and toucans.
Amazon
The Amazon region is located in the southeast of the country. This rainforest region is known for its heavy rainfall, dense vegetation, waterways, and the numerous indigenous communities that live along the rivers. The Amazon region includes the departments of Amazonas, Caquetá, Guainía, Guaviare, Putumayo, and Vaupés.
Chiribiquete National Park is the country’s largest national park. It is a landscape of mountains, tropical moist forests, tepuis, savannas, and rivers. The park is best known for its ancient indigenous petroglyphs and pictographs. Its wildlife includes a diversity of bats, butterflies, birdlife, wildcats, monkeys, otters, and Amazon river dolphins.
Jirijirimo Waterfall is a spectacular waterfall on the Apaporis River.
Cerros de Mavecure are spectacular tepui rock formations along the Inirida River.
Leticia was filmed for Cannibal Holocaust (1980).
Insular
The Insular region includes Colombia’s Pacific and Caribbean islands. It includes the department of Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina.
The tropical islands of San Andrés and Providencia, located closer to Nicaragua than Colombia, offer some of the Caribbean’s most unspoilt beaches and underwater photography options.
Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park located on Providencia Island in the Caribbean Sea protects a marine ecosystem of colourful coral reefs, mangrove forests, marine grasses, and tropical dry forest.
On the Pacific Ocean side, Malpelo Island and Gorgona Island are known for a diversity of underwater life including whale sharks, humpback whales, hammerhead sharks, and sea turtles.
Colombia Film Location Permits
Most permits are applied for at the local level where filming will take place. Bogota and Medellin have local film commissions that handle permitting. Permits for basic shoots take about 2 weeks and are usually free. Larger shoots requiring exclusive use of public space, police escorts, road closures, and so on require more lead time and may come with location fees. Additional permits are required to film in national parks, historic and archeological sites. Drone filming is currently permitted. Please contact us for location specific information.
When To Shoot?
Colombia has a tropical climate with long sunlight hours throughout the year. Mountains and coastal areas tend to have cooler temperatures. The Amazon region stays hot and wet all year round. Bogota has spring-like conditions with warm days and crisp nights. Given its elevation, Bogota can get chilly, particularly in the evening. In general, the best periods to film for dry weather are December to March or July / August. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Colourful carnivals of interest to filmmakers and photographers include:
• Carnaval del Diablo held in Riosucio in January every 2 years.
• Carnaval de Negros y Blancos celebrated in Pasto in early January.
• Barranquilla Carnival in February / March.
• Bogotá Film Festival in November.
Colombia is a predominately Christian country so those holidays are observed.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Colombia.
Unique Local Stories
Brands are looking for local stories that match their brand narrative. Our local teams are a great lead for sourcing those unique stories and characters.
If you are looking for stories for your next shoot, send us your brief and we will pitch you ideas.
If you have a unique story you would like to pitch to a brand anywhere in the world, pitch us your idea. We have well-established processes to ensure that your ideas are properly seen and protected.
Colombia Costs & Tax Incentives For Filming
Costs. Colombia is one of the best production centres in the world in terms of value for money. There are few places in the world where you can get such a wide variety of locations plus industry infrastructure at such low costs. In most cases you are paying less than half of the cost of shooting in the United States, even if filming outside of Bogota with all the additional travel costs factored in. Our Colombia fixer / service producer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget.
Tax Incentives. Colombia offers a cash rebate of 40% for film services and 20% for film logistics services. See here for more information. The city of Medellin also has its own film commission, with local incentives.
Colombia Film Crew & Talent
Crews. Colombia has a small but good pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Bogotá and Medellín are the largest production centres. Colombian crews are experienced, hard working and resourceful. Crews are non-union. They’re flexible with overtime and turn around times. Heads of department all speak fluent English. Colombia has three experienced stunt companies.
Contact us if you are looking for a Bogota, Cartagena or Medellin 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 in Colombia.
Talent is non-union. Day rates and buyouts are negotiated on a personal basis.
Spanish is the official language.
Colombia is a multicultural country consisting predominately of Mestizo, Caucasian, Afro-Colombian and Amerindian looks. The largest indigenous ethnic groups include the Wayuu, Zenú, Nasa, and Pastos people. The Pacific region is mainly Afro-Colombian. Some Middle Eastern and Chinese looks are also possible to find although their small numbers mean you would struggle to find lead roles.
Fringes and Premiums. No hidden extras. Crews are paid a day rate and they contribute to their own insurances.
Colombia works on a twelve-hour shoot day from arrival on set until wrap time. Time and a half over time after that. Sundays and public holidays are normal time. Six hours turn around time can be negotiated if need be. That said, it’s all quite flexible to the production’s needs.
Colombia Film Equipment
Equipment. Bogotá and Medellín are the largest production centres. All the standard camera, grip and lighting equipment is available locally in Colombia including Alexa, Phantom Flex, Technocrane, car kits and a range of drones. If you are planning on bringing your own professional gear, first you need permission to film from the Ministry of Culture. Our fixer / service producer then puts together your gear list (with serial numbers) for customs officials (DIAN) to make sure the process is fast when you land. There are no customs duties providing the gear is exported. Allow extra time when flying back with gear to clear equipment out of the country. Equipment may remain in Colombia for up to 6 months.
Communications. Communication is key. Our agility and global experience allows us to customise the right communications systems for every shoot.
Web posted casting, scouting, and videoconferencing.
For clients that are unable to attend set we offer a virtual video village solution. This dedicated and secure high-resolution video streaming platform allows clients from one or multiple timezones to view setups without compromise and to participate in real-time with the team on set. Separate systems can be set up for the discrete conversations that are required to make a job run right. Working remotely with our local teams reduces your content production costs, turnaround times, carbon footprint, and risks associated with unpredictable global events.
Colombia Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production
Art department and set construction is of a good standard. To give you an example our Colombian producer / fixer has in the past constructed airports, supermarkets, hospitals, Chinatown exteriors, African villages, old western towns and Mexican towns.
Studios. Colombia has some sound studios and special effects companies.
Backlots. At present no backlots exist in Colombia.
Post Production. Cinecolor has a set up in Bogota. Colombia has telecine, lab facilities, VFX and 3D Animation studios.
Colombia Visas & Work Permits For Filming
Crews travelling on western passports, staying for less than 90 days can enter visa-free to film in Colombia. It is however recommended to present customs and immigration a letter of introduction from the Film Commission when entering Colombia. Long-form projects may require visas. US passport holders can see here for more information.
Colombia Transport & Accommodation
Transportation Infrastructure. Most major roads are well maintained. Rural and mountain roads are slower going with landslides common in mountain regions during the rainy season from November to February. Some areas have no road access, such as the Amazon River border town of Leticia, which must be accessed by air. Bogota is quite congested so allow plenty of time to get around. Colombian cities are well connected by domestic airlines. Getting into Colombia, several international airlines service direct routes to major Colombian cities.
Accommodation. Please contact us for special rates at recommended film friendly hotels in Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin.
If you’re looking to stay with local indigenous communities our Colombian fixer / producer also organises this.
Final Notes
Safety. See here for up to date travel advice.
Down Time. Bogota has a fun nightlife and Cartagena is a beautiful colonial city worth visiting. Play a game of tejo, the country’s national sport. Try fritanga.
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 Colombia, please see below:
Hire Colombia Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Colombia, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Colombia, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
