Bolivia

Bolivia is a multicultural country with great cultural, natural and archaeological wealth. In terms of landscapes, Bolivia offers both the urban and the natural. In the cityscape, the city of La Paz in the Andean region of the country presents an interesting topography and distinct climates. It is a unique city where both the modern and ancient mingle in ethnic diversity and customs of its people. On the other hand, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia's tropical paradise, offers an area of lush vegetation with huge tracts of forest and grassland, located in the eastern part of Bolivian territory. La Paz is also the starting point from which to learn about one of the most unique countries in the world, which retains its indigenous identity and offers the most varied and impressive landscapes: Andean ridges and plateaus, lakes, forests, colonial cities and valleys. Bolivia seems to live in another historical time and in a world which is both very high and exuberant. For film production, Bolivia has professionals in the areas of sound, photography, assistant director, production services and hotel services. For all these features and many others, Bolivia has all the requirements as an ideal location for top-level film production.

Since Conacine became operational in 1993, around 700 foreign film production companies have visited Bolivia. Europeran companies accounted for 57%, Asia 23.5%, North America 11.5%, South America 6.5% and Australia 1%. Most productions were documentaries, short films, commercials, documentary research, feature films (such as La Traque, Che, Vallegrande) and television programs (such as The Amazing Race).

Foreign production companies and/or filmmakers who wish to film in Bolivia must comply with the following requirements in order to obtain a permit to film. The purpose of this permit is to protect Bolivian cultural values. The requirements are: (1) a letter addressed to Conacine’s Executive Director, requesting a film permit and enclosing the following documentation: brief of the project; specific theme or topic; planned sites or filming locations; format and estimated length of the product; purpose of the project and intended audience; list of names of the crew; list of equipment to be brought into Bolivia; estimated duration of stay in Bolivia. (2) a copy of the passport or Identification Card of the person in charge of the production in the country of origin as well as while staying in Bolivia. (3) proof of residency (permanent address) of the company or the filmmaker. This document must show the legal address in the country of origin and must be certified by the Bolivian Embassy, Consulate or Diplomatic body in that country. (4) a letter of commitment to deliver a copy of the finished product to the Cinemateca Boliviana for archival purposes. The copy must be delivered within one year from the date the permit is granted. This letter of commitment must be filed and sealed by the Bolivian Embassy, Consulate or Diplomatic body in that country. A set of the above (four) required documents must be submitted in the Spanish language. Foreign producers must pay a fee to obtain the film permit. This fee, in accordance to the submitted information, will be established and fixed on the official form provided by Conacine, in accordance with the legally-agreed scale. Depending on the length of time expected to remain in Bolivia, visiting film crew can either obtain a "Visa de Objeto Determinado", which can be obtained at the Bolivian Consular office, or they can enter the country with a tourist visa.