ShootSantaFe Grabs the Spotlight in Los Angeles
Public officials, labor union representatives, private business owners, local filmmakers and film festival representatives converged on Los Angeles last week with the single goal of promoting filmmaking in New Mexico. The ShootSantaFe team coordinated meetings with studio executives and made hundreds of personal contacts through the Locations Expo trade show.
“We were there to make it very clear that New Mexico remains open for the film business. Our message was well received by the executives and location scouts we met. I’m confident that we made great progress in removing the uncertainties surrounding the New Mexico film program,” said Santa Fe Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca Wurzburger, who initiated the ShootSantaFe collaboration.
The group hosted a networking event for attendees of the expo and drew executives from Disney, Warner Brothers, NBC, CBS, ABC Studios, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Sony Pictures and dozens more. Cultural door prizes from New Mexico were popular with the guests as was the Northern New Mexico cuisine served at El Cholo Restaurant.
“ShootSantaFe illustrates not only the vibrant collective of the New Mexico filmmaking community, but underscores the broad support from the public sector, our amazing Film Office, and our sheer determination that the film industry continues to thrive, grow, and explode in New Mexico! Though not so long ago there may have been the impression that New Mexico was out of the game, clearly we’re not, and Film New Mexico news is spreading across the country like wildfire. Los Angeles was receptive and enthusiastic. I can safely say, good things are coming for the New Mexico film industry,” said Luca Ceccarelli, CEO of HDNM Entertainment.
The team has now returned to New Mexico and is actively following up with contacts and working to bring productions to New Mexico. Future priorities for ShootSantaFe include publication of the administrative regulations governing New Mexico’s film incentives and enhancing statewide marketing efforts.
Shoot Santa Fe is an unprecedented collaboration and an impressive list of partners including Santa Fe County, Los Alamos County, Taos County, the Regional Development Corporation, the city of Espanola, Santa Fe Studios, Garson Studios, HDNM Entertainment, IATSE Local 480, the Santa Fe Film Festival, Studio X, Los Alamos National Bank, Albuquerque Studios, Stepbridge Studios and of course the city of Santa Fe. The working group meets regularly with the objective of bringing films to the region and developing the film business. This year Shoot Santa Fe has sent delegations to the Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest and the Locations Expo in Los Angeles.
