Policy Stakeholders: Political Pivots and Precarity in Colombia’s Orange Economy

Colombia’s so-called Orange Economy tried to turn artistic and cultural expressions into profitable business. Following market and consumption logics, foreign film productions were lured to Colombia by a series of incentives. The implementation of Law 1556 of 2012, also known as Location Colombia, was enacted to attract foreign film or “runaway” productions via cash rebates and tax exemptions. This chapter addresses the impact and transformations of the working conditions of film and media workers post-pandemic. Based on conversations with industry workers involved in international productions since 2020, this chapter argues that international productions have returned, increasing jobs and enabling stronger associations, but unionized participation remains stigmatized. Working conditions remained uneven between the productions. Workers remain concerned that runaway productions would stop arriving amid tax change scares, and they might need to run away with them. All in all, the Orange Economy seems to have been but a fleeting mirage.