Peru Plans for More Productions

variety.com:

Anna Marie de la Fuente Big changes are afoot in Peru, thanks to Paramount’s mega-budgeted “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” which shot there in 2021, literally saving hundreds of jobs badly hit by a six-month pan- demic lockdown.

With street protests now a distant memory, talks are underway to address concerns that will make Peru a more attractive location shoot, including such measures as launching a film commission, introducing fiscal incentives, improving equipment availability as well as more training and support for the local audiovisual industry.

The need for these filming incentives were driven pain- fully home when the producers behind the “Paddington in Peru,” the third film in the hit “Paddington” series, opted to shoot in Colombia because of its coveted rebates.

While some second-unit filming will be done in Peru, the bulk will be shot in Colombia and London. An executive committee is in the works, which will include the ministers of culture, economy & finance, foreign affairs, as well as heads of the customs board, promotional org PromPeru and the local producers guild, among others. “We’re hoping that this will pave the way for the launch of a film commission and other much-need initiatives,” says Delia Garcia, PromPeru head. “Having ‘Transformers’ shoot here made people realize that the movie business is a viable industry, it energized our economy, impacting both big and small businesses,” notes Erika Chavez, head of the culture ministry’s audiovisual directorate, DAFO.