Costa Rica

Less than two years into the job, Costa Rica film commissioner Marysela Zamora-­Villalobos is building her country’s ability to attract film and high-end television productions. Zamora-­Villalobos’s drive to attract diverse productions while strengthening local capacity and visibility helped draw a brace of international film projects to the central American country in 2025.

Italian actor, director and producer Guia Zapponi shot footage for her directorial debut The Theory Of Grace (La Teoria Di Grace) in the country. Billed as an adventure thriller examining the relationship between humans and the natural world, Zapponi also stars and produces via her Italy-based production company GFilm. The project shot for two weeks in Costa Rica, working across different locations from the capital San Jose to the Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve.

“The biggest challenge was filming inside the reserve, which was one of the most beautiful locations in the film with the beach and the island,” says Zapponi. “The reserve can only be reached with a two-hour walk through the forest. Despite the effort, the entire crew followed me on this wonderful adventure, and the location was worth it.” The project used a combined Italian and Costa Rican crew.

Costa Rica also played host to Argentinian filmmaker Rodrigo Fernandez
Engler’s I’ll Call You Tonight (Te Llamo En Mi Noche), produced by Daniel Arceri, which shot for 18 days during the rainy season.

“The film industry in Argentina was going through a difficult period, so it was more cost-effective to bring technicians from there to Costa Rica, especially since they had already worked with the director on previous projects,” says Arceri. “We worked with local crew who proved to be highly professional and well-qualified on a human and technical level. We rented all the top-quality equipment locally.”

Costa Rica’s decision in 2022 to introduce a series of tax incentives — including an 11.7% return on all budget lines invested without a cap — only enhanced the appeal of the country, which also offers dramatic volcanoes, rainforests and beaches.

“I would recommend working closely with the local film commission, as they are extremely supportive,” notes Zapponi. “I would also suggest doing location scouting in advance to appreciate the landscapes, where people live in deep harmony with nature and where you can truly feel the majesty and strength of our planet.”

Zamora-Villalobo and her team continue to spearhead Costa Rica’s commitment to sustainability in film and TV production, and efforts to ensure green practices to protect the country’s bio­diversity. As part of that commitment, the Costa Rican foreign trade promoter Procomer has struck agreements with local governments up and down the country to create so called ‘film-friendly zones’, which are accessible to filmmakers and content creators.

“Its people, locations and infrastructure are well prepared to host high-level productions,” says Arceri. “The support from the film commission is essential, as it helps facilitate processes and opens many doors.”

Obtaining a permit in film-friendly Costa Rica is pretty straightforward with no especially onerous rules. A standard permit takes up to 15 days but national parks may require longer. Shutting down a street is possible but will also require more notice. Obtaining permits is relatively straightforward. Production service companies that can help include Costa Rica Filming Locations (CRFL) and Costa Rica Film Support (CRFS).

Costa Rica boasts a robust telecommunications infrastructure, a highly regarded healthcare system and a safe and secure environment for filmmakers. Politically, the country is considered comparatively stable. Costa Rica is not unionised and production crews are more cost-effective than in Europe and the US.

The country is a pioneer in ecological shooting methods and sustainable power sources, including hydroelectric dams and solar and wind power plants.

Costa Rica is one of the highest ranked Latin American countries for English-language proficiency. Small private studios — up to approximately 10,000 square feet — are available, and there is a variety of audio post‑production facilities.

Costa Rica is famous for its pristine national parks, which make up around 20-25% of the county’s entire land mass. These include Corcovado National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Manuel Antonio National Park, and Tortuguero National Park.

In terms of geography, the country boasts various types of forest, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, hot springs and numerous volcanoes. It also has both Caribbean and Pacific Coastlines, complete with palm trees, different colour sands and impressive surf breaks. There is a wide array of agricultural crops including coffee, banana, corn and rice. Costa Rica can be a good double for other parts of the world like the Alps and Africa. In El Salto, Liberia, for example, there is an African-style safari park complete with giraffes, deer, ostriches, camels, zebras etc.

While Costa Rica’s geography is the big draw, the country also has some interesting architecture including modern villas, government buildings, stately homes and palaces, town squares and parks. In poorer parts of capital city San Jose you can also find Brazilian-style favelas.

Costa Rica has a tropical climate. The sun shines throughout the year although there are extensive periods of rain (May to November is worst). The driest period for filming is December to April. Keep in mind there are also regional variations between the East and West Coasts, and also between lowlands and uplands. Best to check with a local fixer or production services company first.

Costa Rica boasts myriad location options and diversity for its relatively small size. It spans about 20,000 square miles, bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Despite its size, the country boasts 6% of the world’s total biodiversity and wildlife.

There are two international airports: Juan Santamaria in San Jose, in the centre of the country, and Liberia International (Guanacaste Airport) in the northern city of Liberia. Both have regular direct flights from the US, Europe and UK.

Contact :

Marysela Zamora-Villalobos, Costa Rica film commissioner
mzamorav@procomer.com