Uruguay Emerges as International Shoot Hub

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In December 2024, Uruguay officially matured as a significant player in the film and TV industry by co-hosting the Cannes Film Market, Ventana Sur – Latin America’s largest film-TV market – which has been held annually since 2009 in Buenos Aires.

Easy-to-work and welcoming, Ventana Sur also showcased what Uruguay can bring to the table. 

By 2024, that amount is quite substantial and has a dual impact: it encompasses both production services on overseas shoots and international co-productions, as pointed out by Marcio Migliorisi, the head of international affairs at Uruguay’s film-audiovisual agency ACAU.

As a cinephile, I’ve noticed that Uruguay is steadily growing into a robust center for film and television production, becoming a beacon of stability amidst the tumultuous Latin American film and TV industry landscape.

One game changer has been Uruguay’s sky-rocketed international shoot scene.

Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing some incredible filmmaking in Uruguay. In 2019, I was captivated by Keanu Reeves’ “The Conquest,” where troops marched through Montevideo’s iconic Plaza de la Independencia, transforming it into a battlefield.

Additionally, the country provided a unique backdrop for Bill Condon’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and Brazil’s “Senna.” The Montevideo airport was ingeniously transformed into a prison setting for the former, and a racetrack for the latter, showcasing Uruguay’s versatile filming locations.

In a remarkable collaboration, the Montevideo-origin Cimarrón, now a multinational company under The Mediapro Studio’s ownership, contributed significantly to the production of “The Society of the Snow,” directed by J.A.Bayona. They aided in capturing the precise mountain backdrops for filming, located in Valle de Lágrimas where the crash occurred, and transformed Montevideo’s old Carrasco Airport, currently out of service, into set pieces for early sequences. The production required by Cimarrón employed approximately 400 technicians at times with over a thousand actors and extras on set.

Other films that have been screened in Uruguay are “Yosi, the Regretful Spy” by Daniel Burman, “El Presidente,” an Oscar winner by Armando Bo, “The Best Heart Attack of My Life” produced by Disney+, “Amsterdam” from HBO Max, “Margarita,” and the suspenseful production “Amaia” by Dori Media.

Andrés Varela, a producer, notes that the rise of Uruguay as a significant international film production hub is not merely coincidental. Boasting a population of 3.4 million people, largely made up of immigrants from Europe, Uruguay relies heavily on external markets due to its limited domestic market.

According to Migliorisi, Uruguay is known for its cooperative spirit due to its size, cultural diversity, and multicultural makeup.

In the year 2019, the Uruguayan government initiated a trial program known as the Uruguay Audiovisual Program (PUA). This program offers cash incentives of up to 20%-25%, particularly for foreign film shoots, and significant co-productions with international partners. Moreover, it exempts these projects from paying the standard 22% Value Added Tax (VAT).

The rebates are not the sole factor; other reasons also attract foreign companies, particularly international streaming services, to film in Uruguay, with a maximum of $1 million per project.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached Latin America, five months following the initial implementation of a pilot Production Under Aegis (PUA) program. However, Uruguay saw relatively few cases of the virus, with only 1,611 confirmed instances by September. Swiftly implementing health and safety measures, Cimarrón launched its first production service for “Manhãs de Setembro,” a Prime Video series, in the same month. Other projects, such as “Yosi” and “El Presidente,” commenced shortly thereafter.

Streamers find appealing a country that offers political and economic stability, lower costs compared to international norms, boasting beautiful architecture ranging from colonial to neo-classical, which drew filmmaker Michael Mann to shoot “Miami Vice” in 2006. The country also showcases Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Beyond the city of Montevideo lies approximately 1,000 kilometers of coastline, offering a variety of beaches, desert dunes, and expansive rural landscapes.

Also key is the quality and depth of its local talent and technician pool. 

For the past fifteen years, numerous universities in Uruguay have been educating multiple generations of adaptable technicians, authors, and filmmakers, asserts Santiago Lopez from Cimarrón.

Agustina Chiarino notes that despite increased costs, they haven’t gotten out of hand. Furthermore, the sector has developed significant technical proficiency in specific areas.

The film and television industry in Uruguay is expanding significantly. According to data from the Uruguayan Film Chamber (ACAU), a total of 48 international productions were filmed in Uruguay between 2019 and 2023, with as many as 20 being shot in 2024 alone. The question now, according to Musaluppi, is how to capitalize on these large-scale overseas productions to foster local talent in Uruguay.

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2025-02-16 17:16