Bogota hosted the world's most important training and networking meeting for film commissioners, with speakers from Disney, Netflix, and Universal, among others.
The Cineposium was held for the first time in Latin America, thanks to the work and dedication of a committee led by the Film Commission of Bogota's Institute of the Arts - Idartes, along with the Bogota Chamber of Commerce. Bogota's Institute of Tourism - IDT, Procolombia, Proimágenes Colombia, the Colombian Film Commission, Invest in Bogota, and the Greater Bogota Convention Bureau also joined the efforts to support the city's nomination and materialize the event.
The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) chose Bogota as the official venue for the Cineposium in 2022, making it the first Latin American city to host the event in its 45-year history. The event was organized by the Bogota Film Commission, which aims to promote the city as a film destination. This mission is crucial for the city's economic reactivation and the promotion of creative, technological, and logistical services in the film industry.
This edition brought together nearly 178 film commissioners and film professionals who experienced an ample academic agenda with industry-leading speakers exploring their sector's latest challenges and experiences. "We are delighted to have participated with the team in Bogota and everyone who worked hard on the Cineposium," said Marjorie Galas, senior vice president of membership and industry relations at AFCI. "The attendance was tremendous. We had very informative panels with excellent guests," she added.
Bas Van Der Ree, the film commissioner of the Netherlands and chairman of the AFCI board of directors, was impressed with Bogota as a host: "What struck me about Colombia was its hospitality, especially the Colombian team at the Cineposium, that knows exactly what we do. I did not expect such a smooth operation, with excellent pace and variety in the panels."
Three thematic axes guided the meeting through nine talks. The eco-sustainability (environmental awareness) component featured Lisa Day, sustainability manager of The Walt Disney Company; Hans Dayal, location manager for series such as Supergirl and Minority Report; and Marnie Gee of the Creative BC Film Commission. The gender perspective component included a panel to discuss the industry's most current initiatives in front of and behind the camera. This panel featured Amanda Blumenthal, privacy coordinator for series such as Euphoria, Marjorie Galas of AFCI, and Sabrina Farji of Cima Latam.
The film tourism component, a challenge for the world's film commissioners, discussed film products as artworks and showcases for promoting locations as tourist destinations. It included a talk with Yvett Merino, Oscar-winning producer for her work on Encanto; Alejandra Espinosa Uribe, cultural consultant for this animated film inspired by Colombia; Stefan Roesch, a reference in film tourism in New Zealand; and Tommaso Campione, executive director of The Hollywood Reporter.
The Cineposium program also included a conversation on incentives and film laws in Colombia. The talk used the series Pálpito as a case study, featuring its producer Ana Piñeres; Juliana Moreno, production manager at Netflix; Silvia Echeverri, director of the Colombia Film Commission; and Ricardo Cantor, from the Bogotá Film Commission.
Other discussions in the program included How reggeaton music videos boost regional tourism with Harold Jiménez (36 degrees), Luis Lizarralde (Sony Music), and Natalia Barbosa (Medellín Film Commission); Case study of Memoria / successful international co-productions with Diana Bustamante (producer), David Melo (cultural advisor Mayor's Office of Bogotá) and Julio Chavezmontes (co-producer); Telenovelas: How soap operas impact local and regional production with Rodrigo Guerrero (producer in La reina del sur), Dago García (VP of production and content in Caracol TV), producer Magdalena La Rotta, and Diana Díaz; Filming in different international jurisdictions utilizing tax incentive programs with Jay Roewe (HBO), Camila Wilches (Sony Pictures Entertainment), Donne Dawson (Hawaii State Film Commissioner), Brian O'Leary (tax incentive consultant), and María Fernanda Cristo (dynamo); and Breaking down territory stereotypes withStefanie Rauscher (Vienna Film Commission), Timothy Odhiambo Owase (Kenya Film Commission), David Cohen (Variety), and Adrian Mitchell (Oslo Film Commission).
