In the last five months of 2024, Panama has hosted 13 film productions from the United States, Canada, France and Panama, which has generated an investment of 20.7 million dollars and has significantly boosted the economic and cultural development of the country, reported María Cecilia Arias, director of the Film Commission of Panama, during an interinstitutional meeting chaired by the Minister of Commerce and Industries, Julio Moltó, and the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Arianne Benedetti.
In this meeting, in addition to highlighting these achievements, the progress obtained from the missions carried out to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and London was evaluated, and new strategies were defined to continue promoting Panama in the global film industry. This work is carried out jointly between the Film Commission of Panama, attached to the MICI, and the Ministry of Culture.
In Las Vegas, Arias and Deputy Minister Benedetti participated in the American Film Market to position Panama as an ideal destination for international film productions. Then, they traveled to Los Angeles, where they established strategic connections with large studios such as Warner Bros, HBO, Netflix, Reset Content and Sony Pictures to know their criteria when choosing destinations for their productions.
During the missions, representatives of MICI and MiCultura met with producers, distributors, talent agents and international organizations in the audiovisual sector to explore opportunities for collaboration, investment and co-production. Agreements were also discussed and they went in search of international allies for the construction of film studios and position Panama as a strategic destination for international film projects, taking advantage of its infrastructure, geographical location and the country’s tax incentives.
Before these missions, Arias participated in the Iberseries & Platino Industria, an outstanding annual event of the audiovisual industry held in Madrid, where he had the opportunity to strengthen links with sector professionals in Ibero-America, further consolidating Panama’s network of strategic contacts at an international level.
The 13 productions made in Panama, covering various genres and formats, have strengthened the local audiovisual industry and consolidated the country as an attractive destination for international filming. “The investment generated has had a positive impact on sectors such as infrastructure, tourism, vocational training and specialized services, highlighting Panama’s potential as a film hub in the region,” the minister stressed.
For his part, Arias highlighted the more than a thousand direct and indirect jobs generated, which reflect the growing interest in the Panamanian audiovisual industry, offering new opportunities for both local professionals and international technicians and artists.
This dynamism in film production is a clear reflection of the success of the public policies implemented by the government to position Panama as a strategic center in the film industry, an objective included in the government plan of President José Raúl Mulino, which benefits both the national economy and the international projection of the country.