by Jess from New Mexico
Recently, moviegoers let out a collective sigh of satisfaction as December 6th was the last day of the 10th annual Santa Fe Film Festival. The festival lasted from December second until the sixth and in that space more than 130 filmmakers flocked from all over the country to New Mexico to see their movies and their audiences united at last. This artistic migration only scratches the surface in describing how New Mexico’s film industry is booming. Although the Santa Fe Film Festival isn’t as large as, say, the Sundance Film Festival, it still manages to attract between 5,000 and 7,000 patrons every year. These numbers are even more impressive knowing the event was “scaled down” due to financial restraints. But despite whatever limits there may be on the Festival’s budget, the film industry of New Mexico in general has seemingly endless funding.
Just recently the state of New Mexico offered $10 million dollars in order to build a new film and TV studio in Santa Fe. As of now about 300 film-specific businesses have been established in the last six years in New Mexico alone. Ever since 2003 Governor Bill Richardson has been putting his faith in the idea that movies can be the biggest attraction in New Mexico and the movie makers have relished the prospect. Because of the optimal climates, beautiful landscapes and welcoming citizens of New Mexico, filmmakers can’t wait to shoot scene after scene in the Land of Enchantment. In 2007 a star studded cast arrived in the small town of Madrid and filmed their hit movie “Wild Hogs”. 2008 produced the popular AMC series “Breaking Bad” which is produced and shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Along with these, new movies and television shows are popping up all around sunny New Mexico with high hopes and higher funding.
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