Filming in Ethiopia

Filming in Ethiopia is a true adventure. Its natural sights and richly layered history are an incredible backdrop for your production. Ethiopia is promising for all kinds of film productions. From a brand celebrating new product releases to a documentary maker uncovering inspiring stories or a travel videographer seeking truly wild wildlife.

Our production fixer in Ethiopia is what you need to navigate the mythical lands of this East African nation. From film permits to equipment rental and the booking of locations and talent – we cover everything.

Production Assistance and Access for Filming in Ethiopia

Filming in Ethiopia is like opening an oyster and discovering the most perfect pearl. However, there is a lot of behind the scenes work that needs organizing first. Our production assistance is unmissable in a country where matters are handled through negotiations.

To gain access for filming in Ethiopia, you need someone on the ground that knows who to contact. Getting film permits can be quite a lengthy process. There are also many additional requirements for aerial filming or shooting at some of the politically sensitive locations.

Our location manager is your liaison for finding incredible filming locations and navigating the administrative processes. We also provide full production assistance for the more practical matters such as transportation, accommodation and catering. This is especially important when filming in the more remote regions.

Whether you are sticking to the large cities or venturing out to the far corners, you need a reliable production team. Our film fixers have a list of crew ready to work with you. This includes camera men, sound crew, translators, lighting specialists, directors and more.

Filming in Ethiopia can be challenging but one we are ready to take on with you. We are there for the entire adventure.

Getting Film Permits in Ethiopia

To start filming in Ethiopia, production crews need to first receive approval from the Foreign Media Accreditation. This is a process that starts in your home country but Ethiopia Fixer can help you with the paperwork.

First, we need information about the planned production including the synopsis, filming locations and a list of equipment and crew. These are all pieces of information our local fixer can provide in agreement with you.

Note that booking locations, local crew and equipment rental are the more time-consuming tasks in preparing film permits. That is why film crews work with a fixer in Ethiopia from the planning stage. By working with us, you save yourself from long discussions and negotiations. There are no set fees, so having a local liaison is invaluable.

With this paperwork, you need to go to the closest Ethiopian embassy for a meeting with their press office representative. The filming application is then further handled by the embassy. Upon approval by the Foreign Film Accreditation, you receive film permits which are then used to apply for a business visa. Acquiring a business visa is quite straightforward. A few forms, passports and the Foreign Film Accreditation paperwork is all you need.

Tax Rebate & Cash Incentives for Filming in Ethiopia

Currently there are no tax rebates or cash incentives for film productions in Ethiopia. Planning a budget for filming in Ethiopia is also more complex because there are no set fees nor standard procedures for booking location, equipment rental and production crew. This only emphasizes the need for working with a production fixer.

Ethiopia Fixer openly communicates with your production company on the budgeting. On your behalf, our local fixer will negotiate better deals for all the basic necessities of filming. Since film production crew and equipment is still somewhat limited in Ethiopia, we can also arrange for support crew and equipment rental from neighboring countries. In that case, we also arrange for the appropriate visas and customs clearance.

How much filming in Ethiopia costs depends on the type of production, how many locations you want to shoot and the type of equipment you want to use. Ethiopia has many spectacular remote locations but filming there requires a larger budget for logistical reasons. You have to take into account higher transportation costs and potentially how to be self-sufficient. Prices increase further for aerial filming, not only because of the equipment, but also because of the permit costs for aerial filming.

We are trusted by