News Feed
- "The Men Who Stare at Goats" (filmed in Puerto Rico and starring George Clooney premieres in Venice and screens in Toronto to raving reviews. Variety says it is "a serendipitous marriage of talent in which all hearts seem to beat as one." Screen International says "The Men Who Stare At Goats" is a light-hearted and highly entertaining antidote to pompous large scale movies about Iraq or Aghanistan.
- Life During Wartime filmed in Puerto Rico and directed by Todd Solondz premieres in Venice and screens in Toronto.
- For meetings, please contact Victoria Tirado, vtirado@puertoricofilm.com
Easy to get to, hard to find...
If a 40% tax credit is not enough for a motion picture and TV series or an original soundtrack recording, how about the complete support of a Film Commission dedicated to making your project run smoothly, the security of an experienced crew and the latest equipment unmatched by any other island in the Caribbean?
Puerto Rico’s 40% tax credit is one of the highest incentives in the World.
Luces, cámara... ¡emoción!
“Nos vamos a ver aquí antes de los que ustedes piensan. Gracias por todo”.
De esa manera se despidió Johnny Depp del equipo de producción local que trabajó con él durante dos meses y medio, en el rodaje de la película más reciente que produjo y protagonizó, “The Rum Diary”, la cual filmó totalmente en Puerto Rico.
Para el actor la experiencia fue tan satisfactoria que desea volver el próximo año, para rodar aquí la cuarta parte de la popular saga, “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
Read More...Ready for action!
Tax credits, diverse locations and local talent lure moviemakers
The spotlight that has been turned on Puerto Rico’s film industry through a growing list of big-budget Hollywood movies being shot locally will only get brighter if Marc Anthony and Jennifer López follow through on their plans to build a world-class film studio on the island.
The entertainment-industry power couple has been scouting sites from Dorado to Luquillo and exploring financial alternatives for developing a major film studio that could be in the $50 million to $60 million range, according to sources.
Read More...The BoardingPass
Voices Of Childhood: A Short Film On The Plight Of Orphans With Aids
The Puerto Rico Film Commission, Studio 51, Inc. and the Ricky Martin Foundation announced the completion of Boarding Pass (Pasaje), the first of 10 short films about children’s rights, to be produced in Puerto Rico. Directed by Ana Clavell and produced by Carola González, Boarding Pass deals with a seven-year old child suffering from AIDS. The short, part of the Voices of Childhood (Voces de la infancia) initiative, uses animation as its medium to portray the plight of an AIDS orphan.
Read More...
The Rum Diary Ensures Economic Impact in the Island
“The Rum Diary “ stars Johnny Depp, who is joined by Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins and Giovanni Ribisi. Bruce Robinson, who also wrote the screenplay, is directing. The Rum Diary” represents the debut film of Infinitum Nihil, the production company headed by Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski. The film is also produced and fully financed by Graham King and his production company GK Films. Anthony Rhulen and Robert Kravis are also attached to produce. The movie will be shot entirely in Puerto Rico.
This multi-million dollar budget movie means a major economic impact to the film industry of Puerto Rico and the many businesses that benefit from it. To date, they have filmed in several locations in Old San Juan, El Yunque and El Oso Blanco Jail. In the coming weeks they will be shooting in other sites on the island.
One of the biggest benefits is to the hotel industry. It is estimated that approximately 6000 nights have been reserved in various hotels on the island to accommodate the principal talent and other members of the production team.
The film industry's local talent will also benefit from the presence of the film. Some 17 local talents have been hired, in addition to about 3000 extras for various scenes. Amongst the actors are Jimmy Navarro, Luis Gonzaga and Amaury Nolasco, who expressed “since I left to pursue a career in acting, it has been a dream of mine to shoot a film in my own backyard, my Puerto Rico. As a fellow "boricua" I'm an ambassador of this beautiful Island and I couldn't be more proud of the level of excellence that the crew has executed. I'm certain this film will bring more opportunities to Puerto Rico to showcase what we have to offer; our warm and welcoming smile, our charisma, our hard work, our Puerto Rico”.
The production has also recruited the services of 200 professionals, who will work throughout the process of filming. Some of the local crew who have been hired are Ellen Gordon as Unit Production Manager, Josivan Rojas and Luis Jurado, in charge of all the transportation and Patricia Alonso, the local Casting Director in Puerto Rico.
Mariella Perez-Serrano, Ph. D., Executive Director of the Film Corporation said that “The Puerto Rico Film Commission and the whole country is very enthusiastic and proud to have such a high profile production filming in Puerto Rico. Once again we are showing the world that our film industry capacity is strong and credible.”
José Ramón Pérez-Riera, Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce reiterates the support for the production of this film in Puerto Rico. “We are proud that Puerto Rico is a competitive and prime destination for the cinema industry and we will continue to promote the benefits that Puerto Rico has to offer to the film industry, including our natural resources, economic incentives, infrastructure and highly qualified crews.”
“The Rum Diary is the third movie to be shot in Puerto Rico this year. “Meant to Be” starring Mia Maestro and the TV Disney movie “Stone of Dreams” starring Selena Gómez were the first two. Between both movies Puerto Rico residents and vendors have been paid approximately $10.7 million in investments.
Currently a Lifetime Networks movie is filming in Puerto Rico and an Italian series entitled “Angels and Diamonds” is in pre-production. Both of them will be also be filmed entirely in Puerto Rico.
Based on the debut novel by Thompson which initiated his long, distinguished and brilliantly unpredictable career, “The Rum Diary” tells the increasingly unhinged story of itinerant journalist Paul Kemp (Depp). Tiring of the noise and madness of New York and the crushing conventions of late Eisenhower-era America, Kemp travels to the pristine island of Puerto Rico to write for a local San Juan newspaper, the San Juan Star, run by downtrodden editor Lotterman (Jenkins). Adopting the rum-soaked life of the late ‘50’s version of Hemingway’s “The Lost Generation,” Paul soon becomes increasingly obsessed with Chenault (Heard) the wildly attractive Connecticut- born fiancée of Sanderson (Eckhart), a businessman involved in shady property development deals.
“The Rum Diary” is a GK Films and Infinitum Nihil production starring Johnny Depp, who will be joined by Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins and Giovanni Ribisi. It will be directed by Bruce Robinson, who also wrote the screenplay. Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, Anthony Rhulen, Robert Kravis and Graham King produce. Executive producers are Tim Headington, William Shively, AJ Dix, Greg Shapiro and Patrick McCormick. Peter Kohn acts as co-producer.