Rwanda
Film Locations. Rwanda, The Land of a Thousand Hills is home to the mountain gorillas and stunning Virunga volcanoes. Mountains, lakes, small towns, rural areas, farms and colonial houses are all available. The capital Kigali sits sprawled over ridges, hills and valleys, with superb views over cultivated and terraced countryside. Kigali was quite damaged in the civil war of 1994 but significant rebuilding has taken place since.
Permits. Rwanda requires press accreditations per crew member from the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Sports & Culture. This usually takes a minimum of three weeks to process. Our fixer can arrange for all accreditations. Passport scans and passport size photos as well as other documents, as requested, are required to obtain authorization.
Please click here to see film permit application form for shooting in Rwanda.
Please click here to see application form for Press Accreditation Card for shooting in Rwanda.
When to shoot? The dry season from mid-May to mid-October is easier for tracking mountain gorillas, but the endless hills are barren, a contrast to the verdant greens of the wet season. Peak season for gorilla tracking is July and August; traveling outside this time means it is easier to arrange a permit.
It rains more frequently and heavily in the northeast, where the volcanoes are covered by rainforest. The summit of Karisimbi, the highest peak in Rwanda, is often covered with sleet or snow.
For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Please contact us for more specific weather and sun path information.
Costs. The favorable exchange rate means that your currency goes far in Rwanda. There is no established film community so the greatest cost is the need to bring in your equipment and key crew. Rwanda is landlocked country so all goods must travel in from neighboring countries, which are often politically unstable. As a result Rwanda is at least twice as expensive for all goods and services as the closest major production centre, Kenya.
Talent is non-union. Contracts are offered by the fixer which provides latitude for negotiations.
All talent is paid, in cash, as a buyout for Africa/worldwide rights in all formats. Occasionally, a performer will ask that his/her work not be shown in Rwanda (for an HIV documentary, let’s say) but this is rare. There are no average talent fees. The professional actors and actresses in Rwanda and those brought from countries such as Kenya will negotiate their fee based on the overall budget and the role they are being offered. For television series, they will require a “per episode” fee which, again, is all contingent upon how much production is offering versus what they would like. Our fixer can clarify for you the exact rates you should pay. Typically, talent is paid directly by the client for contractual reasons but our fixer can also do this if requested.
The Rwandan talent pool is limited to African looks. The Hutu and Tutsi are the main ethnic groups. All other looks need to be brought in from abroad. The talent base is quite basic offering mainly featured extras at best.
Creative talent. There are no directors or directors of photography or stills photographers in Rwanda.
Please contact us for recommended directors, DoP's and photographers for your project.
Crews are non-union. There is no established film community. Crew must be brought in from abroad. Local supporting crews can help with basic projects. Some more experienced crews exist in nearby Kenya.
Fringes. You are not required to contribute to any fringes as this system does not exist in Rwanda.
Premiums. Shoot days run 12 hours, 7 days a week although shooting on Sundays should always be cleared with crew prior to booking the day as many Rwandans attend some sort of church service on Sunday. Holidays make very little difference to all crew save for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you need to shoot between December 15th and January 5th of any year, give yourself as much lead time as possible.
Equipment. No equipment exists locally. Some basic equipment can be brought in from nearby Kenya otherwise all else must be improvised or come from abroad.
Art department and set construction. Art department is best sourced from abroad as there is no sophisticated depth in this field in Rwanda.
Studios. None exist at present.
Backlots. There are currently no backlots in Rwanda.
Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign
commercials or films shooting in Rwanda.
Film Stock. Bring from abroad. A small customs fee applies for all stock brought into Rwanda. Do not trust stock available within the region, as there is no guarantee that it has been purchased from a reliable source and/or stored properly.
Post Production. Rwanda has no post facilities. Nearby Kenya has some basic facilities but best to post abroad.
Visas and Work Permits. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Contact your local Rwandan embassy or representative for more information.
Please note that it is advised to have your International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever with you upon entry. Although it may not be stipulated as a requirement on any official website, procedures at the airport fluctuate and you could be denied entry.
Transportation Infrastructure. Major roads are paved, sealed roads. However, once you leave city centres, all roads are unsealed and that will affect your travel time. Several international airlines service flights to Kigali.
Accommodation. Recommended hotels in Kigali include:
Kigali Serena Hotel
Lemigo Hotel
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Communication. Web posted casting, scouting and videoconferencing.
Rwanda has set itself as the IT Hub for East Africa. They are working hard and fast to connect the T1 fibre optic cables now entering the African market. Until the T1 lines are available, the internet is available in most parts of Rwanda and is accessed using a 3G satellite connection. Please note that connections can be slow and generally are not recommended for sending/receiving large files (for Art Dept. for example). Our fixer can arrange for 3G connections for all necessary crew/talent/clients and can also advise as to the timeliness of the fibre-optic lines. Skype is used by most service providers however keep in mind that slow connection speeds at specific times during the day may limit access. Websites are not censored in Rwanda.
Mobile phone use is rampant in Rwanda. Be sure to check with our producer if the local Rwandan cell operator offers coverage in the area where you’re filming as not all companies have coverage everywhere. We strongly recommend you purchase a local SIM and phone upon arrival as roaming anywhere in Africa is outrageously expensive. Voice-mail is not a typical service with local providers. Pre-paid scratch cards can be purchased all over the country and offer the simplest way to top up. Post-paid use is only provided to Rwandan residents. Satellite phone time charges at a minimum of $10.00US/minute.
Safety. Theft and petty crime is not really such an issue in Rwanda but best to keep valuables on you just in case.
Rwanda is a much more relaxed atmosphere and walking the city at night is safe provided you remain aware of your surroundings. This is in stark contrast to Nairobi, for example. There are areas within Rwanda that remain sensitive to bandits and therefore are off-limits to film crews. Police escorts/armed security is easily arranged if required/requested as are local security who can guard a camp at night for instance. Our fixer will arrange for security as needed.
Although Rwanda's security situation has improved over recent years, travelers are advised to steer clear of the borders of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Unexploded landmines are still scattered throughout the countryside particularly in the border areas with the DRC and Burundi, so best to stay on well trodden paths.
There are a number of roadblocks along all main roads to ensure security, but foreigners are never hassled.
Rwanda, after suffering one of the world’s worst genocides in 1994, is well on its way to recovery. Rwandans are known to be a humble, welcoming and generous people. The tensions that created the events of 1994 have been largely addressed and you get a real sense in Rwanda that the people are looking forward to their future.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Rwanda, please see below:
Our production service companies, line producers and fixers have serviced TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries for:
AXA Belgium, BBC UK, Canon Singapore, Coca Cola Indonesia, Concord Canada, Dove Malaysia, Deutche Bank Germany, Dressman Sweden, Evian France, HBO USA, Heineken Ireland, Hyundai Korea, Intercontinental Hotels Global, ITC India, Kirin Japan, Kraft USA, Landrover UK, LG Korea, Meunil China, McDonalds Australia, MUFG Japan, Nikon Hong Kong, Nokia China, Orange Moblie Slovakia, Philips Netherlands, Proctor & Gamble USA, Chery Riich China, Rimowa Germany, Samsung Korea, Sinoland Hong Kong, Skipper Italy, Smirnoff USA, Sony United Arab Emirates, Stella Russia, Telefonica Spain, Vidal Sassoon China, Virgin Media UK, and much more.
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer in Rwanda, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
