On Saturday, January 26, the new Bad Ass Coffee Company located at 965 F, Highway 550 in Bernalillo held a fun Grand Opening celebration. Hula dancers and Hawaiian musicians performed for over two hundred people who attended. The home office for this franchise is in Hawaii, hence its tropical theme. Co-owners are Heath and Liz Foott, and Mike and Cyndi King.

New Mexico’s film industry continues to grow state’s economy

Film production incentives championed by Governor Bill Richardson continue to pump money into New Mexico’s economy.

Between 2003 and 2007, more than $486 million was been spent by film production companies working in New Mexico. That translates to a financial impact of more than $1.458 billion on the state, as well as over 370,000 worker days to our local film professionals.

Factor in the state and gross receipts taxes being generated by all this financial activity, and it’s easy to see that the entire state benefits. New Mexico film workers and businesses, in particular, are enthusiastic about new opportunity and success open to them.

Just ask Pablo Kelly, a native New Mexican and former construction worker. After taking film production classes at Santa Fe Community College, Kelly secured a job in movie locations that paid a salary higher than what he was making at the height of his previous career.

Or talk to independent filmmaker and New Mexico native James Bustamante. He attended the College of Santa Fe’s Moving Images program and now supports himself as a full-time film worker. “Getting anywhere in the industry, you’ve got to have help when you start off,” says Bustamante, “and there is state interest in helping locals and minorities. The state understands that supporting local filmmakers is essential to keeping the work here.”

That work is not only concentrated on film production workers who are being hired more as a result of the state incentive program. New Mexico businesses that supply film crews with products and services are also thriving—and that means everything from restaurants and hotels to hardware stores and rental companies.

America Tent Rentals, owned by Albuquerque local Chava Castillo, used to be in the business of outfitting weddings. Now, due to the statewide tax incentives, eighty percent of his business comes from film production companies. To keep up with year-round demand for his products, he’s recently increased his staff by fifty percent.

Andy Lowell of Enterprise Rent-A-Car is also a typical New Mexico movie-industry success story. He has doubled his employee base and increased his fleet of vehicles by twenty-five percent since the movie industry has begun to boom locally. The ripple effect spreads wide.

Then there are people like film and television actor Christopher Dempsey. This New Mexican is overjoyed to be able to finally practice his craft in his home state again, after working in Los Angeles for many years. The film incentive program allowed him to move back to New Mexico, where he has racked up eight acting credits in just one year.