Filming in Panama

It is the best time for filming in Panama at the moment. Because of the government incentives, low cost, and variety of locations.

• 25% Cash Back on qualified foreign productions for the total spent in the country
• A special customs permit will allow you to enter all equipment for your production hassle-free
• Most public locations are free
• No unions
• Panama has US Dollar currency. No need for exchange.
• More than 70 straight flights and many within the same time zone.
• Major rental houses provide a vast equipment selection for your production
• Most local technical crew and extras speak English

Make Panama your next location whether your production is television or feature film, big or small budget. Panama can simulate major cities of the world, closer to you and with lower costs.

In the past five years, Netflix, Turner, NBC Universal, Warner Brothers, Annapurna, See Saw Films, Paramount, and Endeavor Content have been among the companies using Panama’s diverse portfolio of locations as the backdrops to their projects, many of them serviced by GP Productions.

Panama Film Locations

Panama City offers a beautiful modern skyline, Spanish colonial buildings, a new subway system, and a modern container port. Biomuseo, Frank Gehry’s first work in Latin America, adds a splash of color to the city.

Traveling from Panama City you can reach the Panama Canal within a few minutes, rainforests within 30 minutes, rivers and mountains within 45 minutes, beaches within 1 hour, and volcanoes with 2 hours. 

The palm-lined, white sand, aquamarine San Blas Islands are 2 hours by boat or 20 minutes by air. Also on the Caribbean side lies Bocas del Toro, an ex-banana plantation turned paradise resort. On the Pacific side, you can find pristine Coiba Island, a former penal colony, now a nature reserve.

Panama’s agricultural looks of interest include banana, pineapple, and coffee plantations.
Panama City is the capital and main entry point by air.

Panama has played host to productions such as James Bond: Quantum Of Solace and Hands of Stone.

Panama Film Location Permits

Film-friendly government agencies. Most public locations are free but require a permit that usually takes up to 48 hours to process. Permits for filming in national parks can be quite expensive depending on the type of production. Please contact us for more location-specific information.

When To Shoot?

Panama has a tropical climate. Temperatures in mountain areas and on the Pacific side tend to be lower than in the Caribbean. The dry season runs from December to May. This is the best time to film for the weather. The rest of the year is rainy, with the greatest intensity of rain during the months of October and November. For monthly weather statistics please see here.

Festivals and events of interest to filmmakers and photographers include:

• Chiriqui Highlands Flower and Coffee Festival in January.
• Panamanian carnival in February.
• Semana Santa in March / April.
• Bocas Del Toro Sea Fair in September.

Public holidays may affect timing, availability, and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Panama.

Costs & Tax Incentives

Costs. Panama uses the USD as legal tender. The greatest cost is the need to bring in your specialized equipment and possibly your key crew but that is offset by the relatively low cost of locations, talent, supporting crew, transportation, accommodation, and meals. Panama is generally slightly more expensive than other Central American countries, but less expensive than Costa Rica. Our Panamanian service producer/fixer packages will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget.

Tax Incentives. Panama offers a 25% cash rebate on local production spending. The full rebate can be escrowed upfront with the bond company to cash flow the production. Requirements include a minimum of $500 thousand spent. The incentive program covers feature films, television pilots, television series (broadcast and cable), television commercials, music videos, industrials, documentaries, video game design and creation, and other forms of content.

Panama also offers tax incentives such as tax-free temporary importation of all film equipment with no deposit required, as well as no payroll tax.

For more information on financial incentives visit the Panama Film Commission.

Film Crew & Talent

Panama has a very small pool of local directors, directors of photography, and stills photographers. Panama also has a small depth of good, fast-working crews most of which speak English. Since it is still a small, developing production center it may be necessary to bring in key crews depending on the availability of local crews.

Contact us if you are looking for a Panama City-based director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman/camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA/runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot in Panama.

Talent day rates and buyouts are negotiable. Day rates are very reasonable and negotiated on a personal basis.

Panama offers mainly International-Latin and Amerindian looks. Several ethnic groups exist including the unique, colorful Kuna Indians that live on the picturesque San Blas Islands, and the Embera people who live in Darien Province. With the existence of the Panama Canal, there is also a sizable community of US and European citizens. Panama’s close proximity to major US production centers allows easy access to those pools of multicultural talent should you need to look further.

Panama Film Equipment

Only basic cameras, lighting, and grip equipment are available locally. Local production companies have their own equipment and share when necessary. The overall stock of equipment is quite small. All specialized equipment and operators are required to be brought in from abroad. Miami is the closest major production center. Mexico and Colombia also have a range of equipment and are cheaper alternatives than bringing equipment from the US.

Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production

The art department and set construction is impressive in Panama. Local crews have built sets for Survivor, MTV’s Road Rules Challenge, and James Bond: Quantum of Solace.

Studios. Only basic facilities belonging to local TV stations exist.

Backlots. At present no backlots exist in Panama, but there are whole areas with buildings and streets that could be used. Check with us for more information.

Post Production. Best to post abroad.

Visas & Work Permits Entry is subject to regulations from the country of origin. Western passport holders can enter Panama visa-free for stays of up to 180 days. Visiting productions receive free work permits and reduced costs on multiple entry visas. Contact us for details.