Costa Rica Strengthens Its Position as a Regional Hub for the Audiovisual Industry with New Regional Market

• Costa Rica Media Market will take place June 24–25 in San José, with over 500 business meetings and participation from buyers, producers, and experts from 19 countries
• Organized by the Costa Rica Film Commission, PROCOMER and the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the event includes tours across six Film Friendly Zones in the country to highlight Costa Rica's advantages for audiovisual production.
• The platform offers project showcases, co-production opportunities, masterclasses, and funding access for the region.

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, June 19, 2025 /CNW/ -- More than 50 buyers and 130 content creators from the Americas, Europe, and Asia will gather this June 24 and 25 at the Costa Rica Media Market (CRMM)—a space designed to boost the audiovisual industry in Central America and the Caribbean, energize regional content, and attract international co-productions and services.

Hosted in San José, Costa Rica, the event will welcome leaders from the film, television, animation, video game, advertising, and technical service industries. Organized by the Costa Rica Film Commission, the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (PROCOMER), and the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ), CRMM is consolidating itself as a key platform to connect regional projects with the global market.

This year, Costa Rica Media Market will feature more than 500 business meetings and 51 international buyers from 19 countries: Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Curaçao, Spain, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

"Costa Rica Media Market is born as a bridge between creativity and opportunity. It is a space where Costa Rican talent in film, music, and literature finds strategic allies to grow, export, and transform our economy through culture. Together with PROCOMER, we are promoting not just a market, but an ecosystem of collaboration, innovation, and pride in what we have to share with the world. Because we believe in our stories, in our voices, and in the power of our narratives, this is a firm step toward a vibrant, strong, and future-facing cultural economy," said Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth.

During the CRMM, there will be business roundtables, matchmaking sessions, expert panels, and masterclasses. The agenda also includes project showcases from the Costa Rica International Film Festival's Industry Section and from Tres Puertos Cine, a prominent residency for Latin American film projects that guides selected proposals from development to market.

"Costa Rica Media Market is becoming a strategic platform to connect regional audiovisual talent with international opportunities. It's a tool to diversify our audiovisual content offering and generate co-productions, increasing exports and productive linkages for the sector. Costa Rica, with its strong value proposition, natural richness, and competitive tax incentives, positions itself as a key meeting point for the global industry," explained Laura López, CEO of PROCOMER.

A highlight of the event will be the Fam Tours, scheduled for June 26–28. These are designed to showcase Costa Rica's potential as a filming destination. Producers and directors will tour the six Film Friendly Zones, mostly located outside the country's major cities. These areas offer a diversity of natural and urban settings, including jungles, coasts, rural towns, volcanoes, and historic centers—supported by solid logistical infrastructure, legal stability, and an incentive framework for international productions.

CRMM builds upon the legacy of the Central America and Caribbean Audiovisual Market (MAUCC), which hosted over 1,000 business meetings across seven editions. This platform led to milestones such as the distribution of the film Una Navidad sin Nieve in the Arab region and the creation of the first digital channel exclusively dedicated to Costa Rican cinema on the well-known streaming platform FILMIN.

Why Film in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica offers key advantages for international audiovisual production: diverse locations within short distances, skilled technical professionals, legal stability, and reliable logistics. These are complemented by attractive fiscal incentives, such as income tax exemptions for foreign film productions, and streamlined administrative procedures to facilitate production processes.

This set of benefits has positioned the country as a competitive destination for studios and production companies seeking efficiency, quality, and sustainable practices in their filming projects.

World-Class Talent

The CRMM will feature a diverse selection of international figures with broad experience in film, television, and content production. Among the guests are Costa Rican directors Antonella Sudasassi and Hernán Jiménez, as well as Pablo Guisa Koestinger, Andy van Veen, Lynette Coll, Adrian Gueyer, Emerson Machtus, Rom Donahue, Arnon Manor, and Arturo Cardelús, among others.

As part of the official agenda, CRMM will also host project presentations selected by the Costa Rica International Film Festival and Tres Puertos Cine, a Latin American film project residency. The latter has formed a strategic alliance with Costa Rica Media Market to offer a program that merges creative development with direct market access—allowing top regional projects to move from incubation to co-production, financing, and international circulation.

SOURCE Promotora de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (PROCOMER)

Esteban Chaves, [email protected]