Film & Television Production in Suriname, sA
Who we are
We lead and support international documentary, factual, reality, commercial and institutional productions, including line and service production for teams working in Suriname.
What we do
Productions for agencies, brands, institutions and broadcasters. From development through delivery.
Your local production partner in Suriname. We handle line production, logistics, locations, permits, casting, crew, safety planning and on-the-ground execution, aligned with international standards and compliance requirements, including industrial and energy environments.
Documentary and scripted series developed and produced by Waves.
Projects
Filming in Suriname
Suriname is changing faster than it is being documented. Oil and infrastructure are reshaping the coast, gold is pushing deeper into the interior, and most of the country is still primary rainforest, governed by the communities who live in it. A country under pressure, with opportunities that exist nowhere else.
Waves is based in Paramaribo. We know the permit landscape, the stakeholders, and the conditions on the ground.
Suriname does not need to be taught how to tell stories. The oral storytelling culture here is centuries old. What we bring is modern production craft, connected to what is already there.
Suriname combines rainforest, rivers, coastal landscapes and urban environments within a compact geography. It is one of the few countries in the world where more than ninety percent of the land surface remains covered by primary forest.
It is also culturally distinct. The country's demographic composition is shaped by centuries of colonial history, slavery, contract labour and more recent migration waves. That creates a storytelling environment with a depth and specificity you will not find elsewhere.
And it is changing. Energy and infrastructure development are accelerating. Communities, regulators and investors are navigating that change simultaneously. Suriname right now is a place where stories and operational realities intersect.
Permits in Suriname are location-dependent and not standardised nationwide. Requirements vary based on the type of land (public, private or community-governed), government oversight and restricted zones, drone usage, environmental sensitivity, and industrial or safety-critical sites.
Waves coordinates the full permit and access pathway for the project scope. This includes government permits, location agreements, community consent where applicable, drone clearance and required risk documentation.
Equipment import and temporary import options depend on project needs and routing. We advise per production.
Industrial and energy productions operate in environments where access, safety and compliance are not optional. They are the baseline.
Waves has experience executing productions within active industrial and operational environments, working alongside corporate safety officers, following HSE protocols and adapting to site-specific access and reporting requirements. We understand what it means to work on a live industrial site. We prepare accordingly.
Our approach to industrial productions includes: pre-production alignment with client HSE and compliance frameworks, safety briefings and risk assessments before each filming day, PPE compliance and site rule adherence, drone coordination subject to explicit site approval, and structured data management and handover protocols.
Working in Suriname means working with Suriname. Choosing Waves means following these principles.
We follow FPIC protocols when working with local communities. We pay fair and work safe. And we invest in building professional filmmakers, people with a craft and a career, not just a role on a callsheet. The filmmakers and crews who understand this, and who can let go of how things are done elsewhere, have the best experience here.
Get in touchAbout
Waves Films & Stories is a film and television production company based in Paramaribo, Suriname. Founded by filmmaker and producer Sander Coumou in 2020, built on more than fifteen years of international production experience.
Sander Coumou is a filmmaker, producer and cinematographer. He has been making films since he was fourteen years old. In more than fifteen years of professional production, he has worked as director, DoP, producer and line producer across documentary, factual, reality and narrative formats.
He founded Waves in 2020 with a clear ambition: to build a production company that operates to international standards, rooted in Suriname, with fair working conditions for the people who make the work possible.
Consuela Wilfrid is a producer at Waves. With several years in Surinamese film and television, she has worked as line producer and production manager across commercials, documentaries and larger TV productions, including various international productions. She runs production planning, budgeting, crew and on-set logistics, keeping every shoot organised and on schedule to international standards in Suriname.
Waves operates with a small core team supported by a trusted network of Surinamese and international film professionals.
Our production team includes experienced camera operators, fixers, drivers, and production assistants who have worked on international productions ranging from broadcast reality to documentary and industrial film. We are committed to growing this network and developing local talent into industry professionals.
Contact
Planning a shoot in Suriname, developing a project, or looking to license footage or stills? We'd love to hear from you.
Crew or filmmaker based in Suriname? We're always growing our network. Introduce yourself.
Get in touchWaves Films & Stories N.V.
Nadiastraat 45, Paramaribo, Suriname