Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that film, television, and digital media production spending in New Mexico surpassed $2.2 billion over the past three fiscal years and that industry wages are now at a record high.
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The New Mexico Film Office shows that the industry spent more than $794 million in New Mexico from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
“The investments in New Mexico by the film and media industry are delivering higher wages and creating cascading positive economic impacts in communities large and small across the state,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
“Our continued efforts to create a thriving and robust film industry means more money in the pockets of New Mexico families and businesses.”
The most recent data shows that median hourly wages for industry workers jumped to $35.51 in the past 12 months, up 21%.
Additionally, New Mexico communities outside the Albuquerque/Santa Fe Corridor saw a 150% increase in direct spending from $6.5 million in FY21 to $16.5 million in FY23 as a result of the governor’s push to increase opportunities for rural communities.
The New Mexico Media Academy is a prime example of those investments. A priority of the governor’s from the 2022 legislative session, the headquarters will be located at the downtown Albuquerque Rail Yards with a satellite campus in Las Cruces and is estimated to complete construction in 2025.
Students at the academy will enter a competitive and growing film and television industry workforce.
New Mexico- based productions include Nickelodeon’s “The Loud House” franchise, Walt Disney Pictures’ untitled reimagining of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” the upcoming Netflix series “American Primeval,” and the feature “Rez Ball.” Amazon Studio’s “Outer Range” returned for its second season, and the second season of AMC’s “Dark Winds,” set to premiere July 30. ■
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