Colombia adds massive soundstage as Bogotá market soars
Colombia adds massive soundstage capacity as TIS Studios opens Stage 7, an 18,300-square-foot facility, while Bogotá Audiovisual Market's 17th edition drew 2,336 accredited participants and awarded 70 project prizes. The Narcos star-led series Rookies swept five awards, underscoring Colombia's growing pull for international film and TV production.
Key Takeaways
- BAM's 17th edition wrapped July 10 with 2,336 accredited participants, 271 activities, and 882 business meetings.
- TIS Studios unveiled Stage 7, an 18,300-square-foot soundstage that is Colombia's largest and among Latin America's biggest.
- Rookies, starring Narcos actor Damián Álcazar, won five in-kind prizes at the market.
- Proimágenes Colombia and the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce organize BAM as a key Latin American audiovisual hub.
Why did Bogotá audiovisual market attendance surge?
Colombia's Bogotá Audiovisual Market (BAM) wrapped its 17th edition on July 10 with a clear uptick in attendance. The numbers tell the story: 2,336 accredited participants, 271 industry activities, and 882 one-on-one business meetings connecting selected projects with international guests, advisors, and potential partners.
The five-day program packed panels, masterclasses, and training sessions into a busy schedule. Activity briefly paused on July 8 when Colombia faced Switzerland in its FIFA World Cup bid, and even Bogotá's traffic-clogged streets went virtually silent.
BAM director Carlos Eduardo Moreno said the market showed Colombia has world-class stories and talent to reach global audiences. He added that many projects left stronger than they arrived and closer to becoming the films and series audiences will see in coming years.
Which projects won the biggest BAM prizes?
This year's edition awarded 70 in-kind prizes from national and international partners across Fiction Films, Documentaries, Series, Rough Features, Animation, Rough Shorts, and Bammers. Among the standout winners were José Luis Rugeles and Ana María Tarazona of Rhayuela, who collected five awards for their TV series project Rookies (Oficina de Detectives).
Rookies stars Narcos actor Damián Álcazar. Documentary contenders La Sombra de Yolüja and De la Villa split prizes in their category, while Agamenón Quintero's De naranjas y otros demonios snagged the most awards in the fiction feature section.
Organized by Proimágenes Colombia and the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, BAM remains a key engine driving Latin America's audiovisual sector. For more industry shifts across platforms and production hubs, see our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
What is TIS Studios Stage 7?
BAM coincided with TIS Studios announcing Stage 7, a new 18,300-square-foot soundstage built for large-scale international film and TV productions. At 18,300 square feet and 40 feet high, it is Colombia's largest soundstage and one of the biggest in Latin America.
TIS Studios president Samuel Duque said the facility adds to nearly three decades of premium content delivery, highly trained crews, international production standards, and protocols for managing large-scale projects. Combined with Colombia's production incentives, he said Stage 7 gives producers, showrunners, and studios worldwide another reason to bring ambitious projects to the country.
The launch marks the next phase of TIS Studios' expansion, building on a track record serving major platforms and networks including Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Paramount, CBS Studios, MTV, Fox Television Studios, Nickelodeon, NBCUniversal, and Telemundo, according to Variety.
What does the soundstage mean for Colombia's TV boom?
The timing matters. As BAM attendance climbed and project prizes flowed to series like Rookies, Colombia simultaneously expanded the physical infrastructure major streamers and networks need for premium shoots. Stage 7 arrives as Netflix continues growing its Colombian slate, recently naming Ana Maria Londoño Head of Content in Bogotá.
For international producers weighing Latin American locations, the combination of market momentum, incentive programs, and new studio capacity signals that Colombia is positioning itself not just as a shoot destination but as a full-service production partner.