AFCI Brings Cineposium To Latin America
The Association of Film Commissioners International’s (AFCI) annual Cineposium will be held September 20-22 in Bogota, Colombia, thus bringing the conference to Latin America for the first time in its 45-year history.
The annual Cineposium conference connects AFCI members with global production industry decision makers and government policymakers. It is the only international conference focused on education and professional development specifically for film commission professionals.
Over the past decade, Cineposium has been held in the U.S., France, New Zealand, Spain, South Korea and, most recently, Russia (Saint Petersburg) in 2019. Last year’s Cineposium 2021 was held online due to COVID-19.
This year’s Cineposium is timed to immediately follow the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), enabling participants to attend both events in succession, with Bogota and Toronto in the same time zone and many direct flights available daily between the two cities.
The decision to hold Cineposium in Colombia’s capital followed a rigorous selection process. Prospective host cities were judged based on resources, infrastructure and commitment to hosting a world-class conference.
The growth in film and TV production across Latin America was also a factor. Colombia alone now boasts more than 100 studios for film/TV production, animation and video games.
“AFCI’s presence in Latin America has grown along with the continent’s emergence as a production center,” said AFCI president Eve Honthaner. “We have national and regional film commission members in Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Colombia, and we expect our Latin American membership to grow further with the launch of several new film offices currently in development.”
Lensing Heats Up In Las Cruces, NM
Two feature films, Squealer and Bad Hombres, were in production at press time in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They join a growing list of productions selecting the Mesilla Valley as a place to shoot their projects. In 2021, Knight featuring Bruce Willis, Hot Seat featuring Mel Gibson, The Locksmith starring Ryan Phillippe and Kate Boswoth, Dig starring Thomas Jane and Emile Hirsch, as well as the Netflix feature films Chupa and The Price We Pay were all shot in and around the Las Cruces area.
“New Mexico’s second largest city, Las Cruces, is quickly developing a reputation as the new film production hot spot in the state,” said Amber Dodson, director of the New Mexico Film Office. “Toward the end of 2021, four major notable feature films selected Las Cruces because of the stunning locations, the professionalism of the local film office, a supportive film office and community, and the competitive film incentive that New Mexico offers–including an extra 5% for shooting in the uplift zone which includes Las Cruces. That trend is continuing in 2022 with two more feature films starting up now and more in the pipeline.”
Directed by Andy Armstong, Squealer is a story of an overzealous social worker who follows clues on missing persons cases around town. Eventually discoveries are unearthed on a pig farm, where the town recluse has many hidden secrets. The production will employ approximately 45 New Mexico crew members, 3 New Mexico principal actors, and 35 New Mexico background and extras.
Directed by John Stalberg, Bad Hombres is the story of two undocumented immigrants who take a simple job of digging a hole in the middle of nowhere, but when their two employers reveal themselves to be psychopathic criminals, surviving the night will become a more difficult job.
The production will employ approximately 125 New Mexico crew members, 20 New Mexico principal actors, and 30 New Mexico background and extras.
