Curtains Up

What is the impact of DGCINE on the Dominican economy?

DGCINE has evolved as a result of the film boom that took place in the Dominican Republic five or six years ago. The growth of the industry made it necessary to create an agency that would oversee its operation, which is how this office came into existence. The first film commissioner, my predecessor Ellis Pérez, did a wonderful job, and it is my responsibility to continue promoting the growth of this industry. It is important to keep in mind that film in the Dominican Republic was an informal industry and was neither taxed nor taken into consideration by the legal system. It was rather challenging to have an active film industry without the incentives we have today, but DGCINE is here to ensure the law is used to make certain it prevails.

What is the main driver of growth in the industry in the last one year?

The industry experienced significant growth over the course of 2015 and 2016, thanks to the security of the Dominican Republic. In the five years, it took us to build the DGCINE and strengthen the national industry, we have made the Dominican Republic a prime filming location for a number of international film giants. This growth took place thanks to films such as “xXx: Return of Xander Cage.” Vin Diesel is a great advocate for the Dominican Republic, and it was important for him to have a film produced here. The film received production services from Pinewood Canada in conjunction with Pinewood Dominican Republic, a local branch of the international film giant, which was a major factor in establishing a strong film industry in our country. In 2016, Dominican Republic also served as a filming location for the Netflix film “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” starring Kevin James. We must also acknowledge all the reality shows that are filmed in our country each day; we have “Survivor Turkey,” “Survivor Greece,” and MTV’s “Are You the One” for the US and Latin America.

What opportunities will DGCINE have in the Dominican Republic in 2017?

I recently had lunch with Andrew Davis, director of “The Fugitive.” He has a wonderful project that he is pushing to be filmed here, as is the case with Andy Garcia and the Hemingway film he wants to make, to name just a few. All in all, we have great expectations for this year. We have ongoing projects not only with filmmakers in the US and Canada, but also in the UK, France, and Germany. We are growing quick and steadily and are optimistic for 2017.

How do you attract investors and those interested in making movies in the Dominican Republic?

We are the leading economy in the Caribbean and are right in the middle of the world. It also helps a lot that basically everybody here speaks English. We have the manpower and some of the most beautiful tropical natural locations in the world, as well as studios and a state-of-the-art world-class water tank. There is a lot going for us at this point.

What challenges have you had to surpass to get to where you are today?

We have had an industry since 1922, but only 106 films had been made until the Film Bill. We have since exceeded those numbers and made 125 films in only five years. This is thanks to the filming incentives provided in the Film Bill. Everyone needs to be registered here at the film commission in order to be granted permission to engage in any filming activities. We currently have approximately 3-4,000 registrations, which is a huge number considering how recent the law is. Then, there are the services, catering, transportation, and other industries that enter the market that also have to be registered. Every international star or crew that enters the country needs to be signed up for statistical reasons.