As of Agreement 175 dated May 8, 2025, Cartagena now has a Unified Film Permit (PUFAC), a key tool designed to streamline and coordinate the procedures required for audiovisual productions in the city’s public spaces.
This process is the result of an initiative led by the Cartagena Institute of Heritage and Culture (IPCC), with technical and strategic support from Proimágenes Colombia through the Colombia Film Commission. Since 2024, both entities have worked together to structure the permit, in line with the mandate of the Colombia Film Promotion Committee, established under Law 1556 of 2012, which promotes the adoption of mechanisms to support audiovisual activity across different regions of the country.
The PUFAC acknowledges the audiovisual sector as a driver of technological development, productive transformation, entrepreneurship, job creation, talent development, and significant social and economic contributions to the country. Its implementation aims to position Cartagena as a city that actively promotes the audiovisual sector by unifying and simplifying the procedures needed to film in the city.
With this decision, Cartagena becomes the third capital city in the country—after Bogotá and Medellín—to implement a unified permit for filming in public spaces. This measure strengthens Cartagena’s position as a strategic and competitive location for both national and international productions, offering a clear, efficient regulatory framework aligned with industry best practices.
Lucy Espinosa, Director of the IPCC, expressed her gratitude to Proimágenes and the Colombia Film Commission for their support throughout the process, and emphasized the intersectoral impact that this new framework will have on the city’s development.
Agreement 175 outlines the scope, definitions, exemptions, and criteria for streamlining procedures under the PUFAC. Within six months, the Mayor of Cartagena is expected to issue a technical operations manual detailing the implementation of the permit.
At the Colombia Film Commission, we recognize the adoption of the Unified Film Permit in Cartagena as a significant step forward for the development of the audiovisual sector in Colombia. We reaffirm our commitment to continue promoting favorable conditions for the growth of the industry throughout the country.
