Friday, March 04, 2011

Puerto Rico Governor Signs New Film Tax Incentive Bill

Good to know that Puerto Rico is becoming a more significant player in the world of film and production. I hope more Puerto Rican filmmakers, actors and production crew members will be able to benefit.

Here's the press release:

Program Provides Additional Tax Credits, Expands List of Eligible Projects and Creates Infrastructure Incentives

The Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis G. Fortuño, today signed into law the Economic Incentives for the Development of the Puerto Rico Film Industry Act, a bill that is designed to make Puerto Rico’s current production incentives among the most attractive in the industry, as well as promote the development of state-of-the-art media infrastructure, including high-capacity studios. It also designates the media industry as one of the core sectors of the Governor’s ambitious economic development platform.
Under the new law, the government of Puerto Rico has created a series of new incentives and expanded current ones. They include expanded lists of eligible projects, higher caps on existing incentives and new incentives for the development and operation of production facilities on the Island. The new law will be overseen by the Department of Economic Development and Commerce and the Puerto Rico Film Commission.
“Puerto Rico already offers some of the most aggressive tax incentives in the world, making the Island an important center for a number of industries, from biosciences to aerospace. This ambitious bill will place the media industry on an equal footing with others, both with regard to production and the development and operation of related infrastructure,” said Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce, José Ramón Pérez-Riera. “Puerto Rico is known for its variety of locations that can substitute for almost anywhere in the world. It also has U.S. trained crews, artistic talent and state-of- the-art equipment.”
Among the highlights of the new law:
The legislation expands the list of eligible projects to include feature and short films, documentaries, television programs, including series in episodes, miniseries and pilots, music videos, commercials, videogames, recorded live events and original sound track and dubbing recordings. The minimum spending requirements for all eligible projects have been simplified, and the amount has been reduced to $100,000 in payments to residents of Puerto Rico. There is an exception for short films, which will be subjected to a $50,000 minimum requirement. Principal photography requirements are eliminated.
The legislation expands the current 40 percent production tax credit on payments to Puerto Rico residents to include payments to non-resident talent, subject to a reduced 20 percent rate.
The legislation also raises the annual cap on tax credits from $15 million to $50 million on payments to Puerto Rico residents and may be expanded up to $350 million. Credits generated by payments to non-resident talent are not capped. There are no individual or per project caps.
Complementing and enhancing Puerto Rico’s production offering, the legislation provides incentives for the development, construction and operation of state-of-the-art production facilities. The legislation raises the existing infrastructure tax credit to 25 percent on all costs related to the development or expansion of studios, laboratories and other related facilities. It also offers favorable tax treatment to studio operators and related businesses including a fixed income tax rate of between 4 percent and 10 percent, as well as a 90 percent to 100 percent exemption on all other state and local taxes.
Over 60 productions have taken advantage of Puerto Rico’s current incentive program, including Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean 4,” Universal Picture’s “Fast 5” and Warner Brothers’ “The Losers,” in addition to a variety of independent films such as “The Rum Diary,” starring Johnny Depp, “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” starring George Clooney and “Che”, starring Puerto Rican-born actor Benicio Del Toro.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Calendar - DIGITAL DIASPORA FAMILY REUNION - Harlem Stage

Calendar - DIGITAL DIASPORA FAMILY REUNION - Harlem Stage

Boricuas, check your photo archives to be part of this digital diaspora photo and history project in Harlem.

Harlem Stage will host Harris' latest creation, Digital Diaspora Family Reunion - a new participatory multimedia initiative where audiences bring history to life through their photographic images and stories. Bring your photo albums, pictures and mementos to Harlem Stage on February 23nd through 25th and share your family stories as part of the DDFR ROADSHOW.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

My Journey to Love~

Puerto Rico Sun welcomes guest bloggers. Here's a journal entry by Alicia Anabel Santos about her journey, writer life and love.

My Journey to Love~
Alicia Anabel Santos

Good morning its 8am in Argentina, 6am in New York…. and my body has not adjusted to the time yet. The journey has been incredible so far.
Today, I am thinking about what Paulo Coelho calls, “ones personal legend.” When one goes in search of his personal legend the universe conspires in helping him attain it… The idea that we all must go in search of our personal legends…
For me... My personal legend is my writer’s life… from the moment I claimed the title “I AM A WRITER,” to where I am today…. Quitting my very secure job at McGraw-Hill and traveling all across Latin America studying and filming the African Diaspora in Spanish speaking nations.
I have put my personal writer’s journey to the side to work on this project… dedicating my life to this amazing project… AFROLATINOS: The Untaught Story www.afrolatinos.tv. What I have learned is that much of my journey and discovering my personal legend has been about SERVICE….
Serving the community
Serving women
Serving young girls
I am here to serve! Whether that is thru the truth, whether that is thru acts of love, whether that is thru sharing very difficult examples of moments in my life… I am here to SERVE as an example to my daughter and all those I meet on this beautiful journey.
Part of my journey has been to understand that unexpected things will and do enter our lives that we believe are here to take us off our journey – but what I understand is that all obstacles are part of the journey and are here to serve a lesson.
Afrolatinos came after I published my first feature article in Urban Latino magazine – what a blessing.
When it arrived… I stopped writing my historical fiction novel… it was put on hold… the amazing thing was that every country I intended to write about in my novel... I ACTUALLY have had the opportunity to visit during filming the documentary.
AMAZING!!!!
Coincidence?
I don’t believe in coincidences.
I know that everything happens for a reason.
In between filming I decided I wanted to write a play. Which I completed in some insane amount of time… I finished a first draft in February 2010 which I put to the side after working on it a few weeks… I picked it up again in April of the same year…I had the final draft completed in June 2010… my first play titled, I WAS BORN~
It was ON…………
Then something new appeared to me on this journey… it came from my character LIA from the play… Lia – who is really me…. Her story was one I was trying to ignore… I thought I could get away with writing a beautiful story of women I have met in the journey without really showing myself. I ignored Lia’s story… she wanted her story out! My story!!!
Which brings me to today - - I am being called to write my memoir… my story… that I have been writing since 2006 without my even knowing it.
And so, now I am going to sit and finish it… with your help~
Please check out my kickstarter page… if you aren’t able to help with a donation… its all good… your LOVE, support and prayers are ALL I need~ but do share it with the universe… all things are possible…
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iwasborntheplay/finding-your-force-a-journey-to-love?ref=live
“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.’ Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.” From the Alchemist~
Thank you for helping me realize my personal legend~

Peace, light and LOVE~
Alicia

--
Alicia Anabel Santos is writer/co-producer of Creador Pictures, LLC.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

To my PRSUN readers

PRSUN blog readers, I haven't forgotten you.

This year PRSUN has decided to become more involved in offline community events. Since October, I have been leading and organizing networking events as part of a group I started called The Bronx Entrepreneurs and Business Network. BEBN is an independent grassroots networking group for, by and about Bronx entrepreneurs. To find out more about our networking group, look for BEBN on Facebook or LinkedIn or follow @bxbiz on Twitter. Here is PRSUN's upcoming event.


This is a free event. If you are in the NYC area on Feb. 23rd, you are welcome to join us at this networking event for Bronx business professionals. To RSVP, go to http://bxbiznet.eventbrite.com.

As for PRSUN, join our business page on Facebook, our group on LinkedIn or follow @prsun at Twitter. For now, I am posting PRSUN updates there.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Sunday, February 06, 2011