Luring Hollywood to El Paso: Local filmmakers calling for more state tax incentives

The film industry in Albuquerque and Las Cruces is growing fast. The same cannot be said for the Sun City.

El Paso City Representative Peter Svarzbein hopes better tax incentives for the film industry will create more jobs and keep El Paso’s talent from leaving home.

New Mexico offers up to 30 percent for films and television. Last year, Texas cut its film incentive program by two-thirds.

El Paso filmmaker and producer Carlos Corral would like to see more film projects brought to the Sun City.

“We have like 300 days of sun and that is perfect for film production, especially if you are outside,” Corral said.

When we met up with Corral at his Mindwarp studio, he had three scripts sitting on his desk and was mixing audio for a film. Corral believes there is plenty of talent in El Paso to staff movie productions.

He and other filmmakers worry Texas isn’t doing enough to lure television and film companies to the state. New Mexico is offering big tax incentives. Those added up 288 million dollars being spent directly into the state’s economy just last year. It’s a trend not lost on El Paso city Rep. Peter Svarzbein.

“I think it’s important. because of our geographic proximity to New Mexico, we are constantly missing out on work and opportunities,” Svarzbein said.

Corral and other filmmakers from El Paso and Juarez recently plead their case at a city council meeting.

“Albuquerque and Santa Fe are in proximity to El Paso and Las Cruces. But the difference between Las Cruces and El Paso is we are just in two completely different states. Right where the line ends, that is where the incentives stop,” Corral said.

El Paso city council just passed a motion giving staff direction to draft legislation advocating for bigger state economic film incentives. Corral says it’s a good first step toward El Paso competing regionally and nationally.