NM film industry brings in $794M. How does that compare to previous years?
New Mexico continues to pull in some impressive numbers when it comes to the film industry.
On Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the industry spent more than $794 million in the state from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
鈥淭he investments in New Mexico by the film and media industry are delivering higher wages and creating cascading positive economic impacts in communities large and small across the state,鈥� Lujan Grisham said in a statement. 鈥淥ur continued efforts to create a thriving and robust film industry means more money in the pockets of New Mexico families and businesses.鈥�
The $794 million in direct spending is down from fiscal year 2022, which had a record high of $855.4 million.
Over the course of the last three fiscal years, film industry spending in the state is over $2.2 billion.
According to the New Mexico Film Office, the state hosted 85 productions in fiscal year 2023, down from 109 total productions in fiscal year 2022.
New Mexico-based productions include Nickelodeon鈥檚 鈥淭he Loud House鈥� franchise, Walt Disney Pictures鈥� untitled reimagining of 鈥淎lexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,鈥� the upcoming Netflix series 鈥淎merican Primeval鈥� and the feature 鈥淩ez Ball,鈥� as well as second seasons of Amazon Studio鈥檚 鈥淥uter Range鈥� and AMC鈥檚 鈥淒ark Winds.鈥�
The state also saw 鈥淏etter Call Saul鈥� end its six-season run. Production for the AMC series had been steady from 2014 through 2022.
State-filmed series ABC鈥檚 鈥淏ig Sky: Deadly Trails鈥� and The CW鈥檚 鈥淲alker: Independence鈥� premiered last fall, but were both canceled in their third and first season, respectively.
Data shows that median hourly wages for industry workers was $35.51 in fiscal year 2023, up from $29.36 the prior year.
The rural uplift credit, which gives a production an extra 5% in rebates for filming at least 60 miles outside the Albuquerque/Santa Fe corridor, continues to bring productions to every corner of the state.
Though in fiscal year 2023, the direct spending for productions receiving the credit is $16.5 million, which is down from the $50 million in fiscal year 2022.
The New Mexico Media Academy, located in the Albuquerque Rail Yards, is on track to open in 2025. The academy will also have a satellite campus in Las Cruces. Students at the academy will enter a competitive and growing film and television industry workforce.
鈥淲e are building our film, television and digital media ecosystem from the ground up, with a particular focus on staying competitive and not just being relevant but leading the way into the next frontier of how content is made,鈥� said Amber Dodson, New Mexico Film Office director, in statement. 鈥淥ur best-in-class incentive, workforce, training programs, and soon, the film academy, are all essential to generating opportunity, access, and prosperity for New Mexican residents and businesses, which are the foundation of our sustainable, thriving industry.鈥�
New Mexico remains a hotspot for filming as Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces were named to MovieMaker鈥檚 list of best places to live and work as a filmmaker.
Currently, the industry is being impacted globally by the ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strike.
