Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 16 June 2017

Dominican Republic dreams of becoming Caribbean Hollywood

the Philippines to the Do- established tax credits for
minican Republic’s Sa- productions costing at
mana area in the north, as least $500,000 and exemp-
well as the Greek version of tions on such things as im-
the same program, which port duties for audiovisual
is moving from Argentina’s equipment.
Patagonian region, and The movie “A Dark Truth,”
a Swedish production of starring Andy Garcia, was
“The Bachelor.” the first to take advantage
All or part of 45 foreign of the new law in 2011.
productions, including full- In addition to the incentives
length movies, documen- and marketing, universities
taries and reality TV shows, in the Dominican Repub-
were filmed here last year. lic began offering courses
There were another 20 full- to provide the technical
length movies for the do- skills that production com-
mestic market, compared panies could use to find
to three in 2010. the local production and
In the past, the country technical workers they are
played host to some no- required to hire under the
table films. law. In 2013, the prominent
Parts of “Apocalypse Now” Vicini family opened Lanti-

In this May 26, 2017 photo, the Dominican Film Federation booth stands at the 70th international were filmed here as were ca Media, which operates
film festival in Cannes, southern France. The government agency’s pavilion promoted the coun- scenes in “Godfather II” what it describes as the
try’s varied landscape along with tax breaks and other incentives to lure film companies from representing Cuba. In the Caribbean’s most modern
other destinations, including other parts of the Caribbean or the U.S. 2006 movie adaptation studio and sound stage fa-
(AP Photo/Thibault Camus) of “Miami Vice,” the Do- cilities in a partnership with
minican Republic stood in Britain’s Pinewood Studios.
By EZEQUIEL LOPEZ persuade the film industry companies from other des- for Haiti, the other country Among the movies that
Associated Press to use the Dominican Re- tinations, including other occupying the island of Lantica Media worked on
SANTO DOMINGO, Domini- public’s lush mountains, parts of the Caribbean or Hispaniola. Those occa- is “xXx: Return of Xander
can Republic (AP) — In the white-sand beaches and the U.S. sional productions inspired Cage,” which required hir-
opening scenes of the lat- colonial architecture as a Besides the Vin Diesel ac- former President Leonel ing 300 local people with
est Vin Diesel action movie, backdrop. tion flick, which grossed Fernandez, who was look- technical skills, providing
troops in the Dominican “Now, we are on the map,” more than $300 million at ing for ways to diversify the valuable experience for
Republic chase the hero said Yvette Marichal, direc- the box office this year, the economy and bring jobs to them to work in future ma-
through a rainforest and tor of a government agen- country’s film credits have the country of more than jor productions, said Rafael
down a twisty mountain cy created in 2010 to woo grown to include last year’s 10 million. Nunez, a production direc-
road. But in real life, the film production companies Netflix production “True “That bit of investment in tor at the company’s loca-
government is doing all it to the country and to regu- Memoirs of an Internation- the Dominican Republic tion in San Pedro de Maco-
can to welcome the Hol- late their activities here. al Assassin,” as well as “47 without any type of incen- ris on the southern coast.
lywood star — or anyone Marichal spoke in a recent Meters Down,” which stars tives motivated the presi- The facilities were also
else who wants to produce interview after returning Mandy Moore and opens dent,” said Omar de la used in “47 Meters Down”
a film in this Caribbean from the Cannes Film Festi- in the U.S. on Friday. Cruz, who served on an and “True Memoirs of an
country. val, where her agency had There are small-screen of- advisory board that helped International Assassin.”
The filming here of some a pavilion promoting the ferings as well, including launch a more concerted Marichal credits some of
scenes from “xXx: Return country’s varied landscape the Turkish version of the effort to attract the film in- the success to the coun-
of Xander Cage” is a sign along with tax breaks and competition series “Survi- dustry. try’s varied landscape.
of progress in efforts to other incentives to lure vor,” which moved from In 2010, the government “It is incredible how we
Guyana seizes mining equipment at renowned park have almost all ecosys-
tems on this little island,”
she said. “The only thing
GEORGETOWN, Guyana Authorities said Thursday mercury waste oils and sili- near rivers more than a we lack is snow but for that
(AP) — that nearly 30 pontoons cone. year ago, and commercial we have studios.”
Soldiers in the South Ameri- with pumps were dredging Environmentalists recently mining and logging are The benefits are difficult to
can country of Guyana river beds for gold and dia- complained about an in- prohibited at the park. measure, but Marichal’s
have seized heavy-duty monds in Kaieteur National creasing number of miners The park is home to Kai- office says that film pro-
mining equipment from a Park. working in the area and eteur Falls and thousands duction in 2016 injected
protected area that fea- Guyana’s Defense Force making nearby rivers tur- of species of birds, mon- nearly $87 million into the
tures one of the most pow- said it also found environ- bid. keys and big cats including economy and created
erful waterfalls in the world. mental pollutants including Guyana banned mining pumas and jaguars.q 4,000 direct jobs. q