In the final days of the 2022 winter session, members of the New Mexico State Legislature are contemplating a bill that would establish a first-ever film academy in the state. The idea was proposed earlier this year by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham who said the academy could provide the training needed for students to become employed in the state’s growing film industry. The Governor’s proposal came with a $50 million price tag but did not specify where what is being called the Next Generation Media Academy would be built. The legislation comes in the wake of a study released last year by the New Mexico Economic Development Department showing that actors, production crew members, and others in the film industry were responsible for upwards of $623 million in direct spending in New Mexico. That study, Economic Impact of the New Mexico Film Production Tax Credit, looking at the state’s refundable tax credit for film and television work within the state, noted that while spending on movie production was on the upside in 2021, “television productions make up around 60% of projects covered by the incentive.” The report added that a “major challenge looking to the future is that New Mexico suffers from a lack of film and television production workforce capacity, at all levels and roles.” The proposed $50 million to establish and build the academy would, if approved by the legislature, come in the form of a capital outlay. As envisioned, the academy would be run by a consortium of colleges and universities in the state. By Garry Boulard
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