New Mexico has long attracted film and TV production from Hollywood with its classic western landscapes, state-of-the-art soundstages in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe, strong professional local crew base as well as a large population of resident actors who enjoy its mild climate and laid-back lifestyle.
The state also offers filmmakers a comprehensive location database and boasts a 25% to 30% refundable tax credit on qualified spend.
New Mexico’s stark, rugged countryside has often been used as a backdrop in military-oriented films set in the Middle East, of which many have been released since 9/11.
Although a large number of major features have been shot in New Mexico over the years, lately the state has focused on luring TV series, which, if they extend across multiple seasons, provide long-term benefits to the industry.
Specifically, New Mexico provides a 30% refundable tax credit for television projects, a 25% refundable tax credit for feature films, and a 25% refundable tax credit on stand-alone postproduction projects. The program requires no minimum spend and has no project cap.
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Recent projects shot in New Mexico include “12 Strong” (2018), Starz series “The Girlfriend Experience (2018), “Fast Color” (2018), Paramount Network miniseries “Waco” (2018), Netflix miniseries “Godless” (2018), Epix series “Get Shorty” (2017), “Hell or High Water” (2016) and AMC series “Better Call Saul” (2015 to present).
Information courtesy of EP Financial Solutions, a production incentive consulting and financial services company.
