Colombia’s Bogotá Audiovisual Market Touts More International Guests

The 17th edition of the Bogotá Audiovisual Market (BAM) concluded on July 10, drawing more participants than ever before. The event saw 2,336 accredited attendees engaging in 271 industry activities and 882 one-on-one meetings, linking projects with international guests, advisors, and potential partners.

“Once again, BAM demonstrated that Colombia has world-class stories and the talent to share them with global audiences. We believe many projects leave the market stronger and closer to becoming the films, series, and audiovisual experiences that audiences will enjoy in the future,” stated BAM director Carlos Eduardo Moreno.

The five-day event featured a variety of panels, masterclasses, and training sessions. It only paused when Colombia faced Switzerland in a World Cup match on July 8, which saw the usually busy streets of Bogotá fall silent.

This year’s BAM awarded 70 in-kind prizes from national and international partners to selected projects and emerging talents across categories like Fiction Films, Documentaries, Series, Rough Features, Animation, Rough Shorts, and Bammers. Among the notable winners were José Luis Rugeles and Ana María Tarazona of Rhayuela, who received five awards for their TV series project, “Rookies” (“Oficina de Detectives”).

In the documentary feature category, Hanz Rippe Gabriel and Fernanda Pineda’s “La Sombra de Yolüja” and Mónica Taboada and Beto Rosero’s “De la Villa” shared the honors.

Agamenón Quintero’s “De naranjas y otros demonios” emerged as the top award recipient in the fiction feature section.

Organized by Proimágenes Colombia and the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, BAM continues to be a vital force in Latin America’s audiovisual sector.

TIS Studios Opens Massive 18,300-Square-Foot Stage 7, VFX Companies Folks, Loma Expand Clientele

While BAM was underway, TIS Studios announced the opening of Stage 7, a new 18,300-square-foot soundstage designed to accommodate large international film and TV productions.

“TIS Studios offers highly skilled crews, international production standards, and the necessary protocols to handle large-scale projects, supported by nearly 30 years of experience in delivering premium content,” said Samuel Duque, president of TIS Studios. “Stage 7 enhances this foundation. Along with Colombia’s production incentives, it provides producers and studios worldwide with another reason to bring their most ambitious projects here.”

The inauguration of Stage 7 signifies the next phase in the expansion of TIS Studios, leveraging its nearly 30 years of production expertise and a history of projects for major global platforms and networks like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Paramount, and more.

Standing at 18,300 square feet and 40 feet high, Stage 7 is the largest soundstage in Colombia and one of the biggest in Latin America.

Meanwhile, the VFX company Folks Bogotá, led by Andrea Espinal, has attracted numerous international projects to its studio, thanks to its competitive pricing.

Their portfolio includes projects such as Netflix’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” Taylor Sheridan’s “1883” and “Lioness,” Rodrigo Prieto’s directorial debut “Pedro Páramo,” AppleTV’s “The Morning Show,” and “Boiúna: Legend of the Amazon,” previously known as “Titan,” filmed in the Colombian Amazon.

Established in 2019 under Espinal, Folks Bogotá was created to harness Colombia’s creative talent for high-end VFX productions, evolving from supporting the Montreal team to a full-service studio delivering visual effects for major Latin American and international titles.

Another growing VFX company, Loma, originally a family-owned rental equipment firm, has ventured into virtual production. Its 200-square-meter studio integrates custom LED volumes with real-time technologies, such as Unreal Engine, to offer in-camera VFX and extended reality (xR) productions.

Managed by COO Francisco Forero, the Bogotá-based facility supports films, series, commercials, live broadcasts, and R&D projects, providing filmmakers with a cutting-edge environment for virtual production and next-generation visual effects workflows.

Among the shows they have contributed to are Netflix’s “The Hijacking of Flight 601,” SPT’s “Hasta que amanezca,” and “Como perderlo todo” from Dago Prods, as well as BAM’s Vaivén, an immersive audiovisual installation by Project Aurora.

Netflix remains a significant client for TIS, Folks, and Loma, as it continues to expand its slate in Colombia, recently appointing Ana Maria Londoño as Head of Content in Bogotá.

Venezuelan Filmmaker Mariana Rondón Reflects on ‘All Her Nights Without Caracas’

In her BAM Talk, Venezuelan filmmaker Mariana Rondón discussed her cinematic journey, from her acclaimed film “Bad Hair” (“Pelo malo”) to her latest feature, “It Would Be Night in Caracas,” produced by Edgar Ramírez.

Rondón shared that her artistic path began with an unexpected interest in genetics. She spent a decade creating a “genetic laboratory” through art, developing an installation that imagined transgenic beings and produced just 12 seconds of moving imagery. “This process transformed my understanding of cinema: powerful stories can begin with an image, not only with a script,” she said, emphasizing the emotional impact of images in evoking curiosity, wonder, and meaning.

The Venezuelan exodus later influenced her artistic direction. “Witnessing people walk from Venezuela to Chile, crossing borders on foot, felt almost biblical,” she said, describing a crisis that prompted many, including herself, to reconsider identity, belonging, and the possibility of envisioning a future.

Unable to film “It Would Be Night in Caracas” in Venezuela’s capital, Rondón and co-director Marité Ugas recreated the city in Mexico, collaborating with displaced Venezuelans. During protest scenes, the line between fiction and reality blurred. “We would call ‘cut,’ but there was no way to stop,” she recalled, noting that many participants were reliving personal experiences, leading to psychological support being offered.

The film ultimately became an act of reconstruction, reconnecting with a lost country and exploring identity through cinema. “That question of identity is central to why we make films,” she said.

Colombia’s Film Boom Has a Sustainability Problem

A recent study at BAM highlights the significant impact of Colombia’s Film Law 814, which, through the Film Development Fund (FDC) and tax incentives, has turned the country into a booming production hub. From 2015 to 2025, Colombia released 548 feature films, a sharp increase from around two per year before 2003, with public support and tax incentives financing over half and attracting about $160 million in private investment.

However, the study also identifies a key challenge: while production has grown, it hasn’t resulted in stronger companies. Only 25% of production houses funded by the FDC or tax incentives have pursued a second project, leaving 75% unable to build long-term capacity. Most companies operate with just two employees, and cinema is only part of their revenue. The report cautions that while Colombia is effectively financing films, it has not yet created sustainable film businesses.

The study suggests 12 strategies to bolster the ecosystem, including expanding funding tools, refining tax incentives, supporting distribution and promotion, and acknowledging the operational costs needed to develop resilient production companies.

“The study underscores the need for a more integrated film policy approach. 26 years ago, the focus was on producing Colombian films. Today, those films exist, but their market share is minimal, and they aren’t reaching audiences,” said producer-director Cristina Gallego (“Birds of Passage”), who led the panel.

“We must embrace technological change and integrate it into financing strategies, moving beyond fragmented interests. Screenwriters, regional filmmakers, workers, festivals, producers, distributors, and public institutions—including the ministries of culture, education, technology, and commerce—all play a role in the audiovisual sector, yet they often operate in silos,” she added.

“Without a sustainable ecosystem supporting both production and distribution companies, as well as the individuals driving the industry, long-term growth will remain elusive.”