On Thursday, 22 July, the Ministry of Culture of the Dominican Republic approved legislation that will facilitate the development of the country’s flourishing film industry. The greatly anticipated enactment of the law marks the end of a five year legislative process that began in 2005, under the leadership of the nation’s President, Dr. Leonel Fernández.

In a statement, the Minister of Culture, José Rafael Lantigua, expressed that the law forms part of a parcel of legal acts intended to strengthen cultural development, which in addition to the Film Law includes the Archives Law and the Book and Libraries Law. The Ministry of Culture sees the Film Law as an important tool in both the advancement of national film industry and the country’s emergence as a regional Mecca for international production. The law, unquestionably, signifies a substantial achievement for local cinematographers and foreign investors and producers alike.

The law will allow for the establishment of a fund that will finance local productions and educational opportunities in cinematography within the country. The legal measure will also provide fiscal incentives for foreign filmmakers, including a 16% ITBIS tax exemption, custom fee immunity for the transport of film equipment, and the abolishment of filming permits.

It with great pride that we at Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) share this recent achievement with our collaborators and supporters. We believe that the exciting advancements currently taking place within the country’s film industry represent critical opportunities for national social, cultural and economic development, and we believe that the Global Media Arts Institute (GMAI) and the Dominican Republic Global Film Festival (DRGFF) serve as critical vehicles for such progress.

Through our Global Media Arts Institute (GMAI), we develop year-round training programs as part of our overall mission to provide instruction to emerging Dominican professionals in the field of film and television production, and to contribute to the advancement of the country’s multimedia industry.

Additionally, since its inception in 2006, DRGFF has become one of the foremost annual cultural and educational events in the country, uniting national and international industry experts, aspiring artists, film aficionados, students and all interested in developing greater understanding of the challenges impacting the global community. The Festival connects Dominican filmmakers with acclaimed industry professionals from across the world. This opportunity for the country’s filmmakers to learn and network with the industry’s best is like no other, providing Dominican professionals with the necessary tools to take their artistic aspirations to the next level, better enabling them to achieve both national and international success. In addition to providing world-class training to Dominican emerging artists and experienced professionals, the Dominican Republic Global Film Festival also fulfills the essential need to present the country and the Dominican filmmaking community to international filmmakers, promoting filming and production in the Dominican Republic by spotlighting the country’s natural beauty, cultural wealth, modern infrastructure and competent labor force.

See Official Law Document.