A new dream is being built in El Salvador with the entertainment industry. On March 2, a company specialized in audiovisual production, Dreams Films Studios signed an agreement with the Salvadoran government to promote cinematography in the country.
This initiative arose from the interest of Mauricio Marín, president and director of the firm based in Houston, Texas, who visited the territory at the beginning of last year and “fell in love” with the cultural richness of the country and with the vision promoted by the administration of President Nayib Bukele.
“My wife is Salvadoran. She left the country during the war, but she never returned because what she saw on the news was the theme of violence. And when we finally arrived in the country, we found ourselves with a totally different reality from the news” the filmmaker told Diario El Salvador.
New projects such as the incorporation of bitcoin into the Salvadoran economy, the announcement of Bitcoin City, and the diversity of tourist destinations motivated the producer of Colombian origin to propose to investors of his audiovisual products that they place funds in the nation.
The alliance signed with the Secretary of Commerce and Investments of the Presidency opened the doors for these new investments in the entertainment industry to materialize. Marín stated that he has convinced his entire production team and associates to shoot in El Salvador a film that was intended to be made in Spain this year, which will generate hundreds of jobs.
«In the country, there is no language barrier because it is Spanish. Also, the idea of the project is very tropical, overlooking the beach, and you have that here. We had the Puerto Rico Philharmonic to play the original song from the film, but now we plan for the El Salvador Philharmonic to do it” — the Colombian pointed out.
Job opportunities, in principle, will be focused on logistics, cameras, and secondary actors. However, in the long term, and with the support of the Entertainment Cluster that will promote acting training, it is planned to launch productions starring Salvadorans.
Therefore, the agreement with Dreams Films Studios includes the development of a database of Salvadorans specializing in the film industry. In this way, when you think of a new project, it will be easy to find staff.
«You have the human resources; you just have to know how to place them. As a company, by having this database organized, we will propose local talent for when we film in El Salvador» — he detailed.
In the coming months, the construction of a film studio in El Boquerón could also begin, which would mean an investment of up to $25 million in equipment and production.
Subsequently, the audiovisual production entrepreneurs plan to install another studio in Bitcoin City and establish an administrative office in the country.
«I believe that this project is going to invigorate the country, not only now, but for a long time to come, because it is going to change the structure of the entertainment industry. We believe in the same vision that the president has to make the country grow” — concluded Marín.