Santa Fe film commissioner pitches regional model and incentives as path for Taos County film industry

Jennifer Labart Tapia, Santa Fe Film Commissioner and executive director of the Santa Fe Film Office, gave a presentation to the Taos County Board of Commissioners outlining how New Mexico’s state incentives and a joint city–county film-office model have helped Northern New Mexico attract production.

Labart Tapia described the state incentive as a base 25% rebate on qualified in-state spending and explained uplifts that can increase that incentive for productions that meet additional criteria: “you get 25% back from the state of New Mexico,” she said, adding that qualified production facilities can add roughly a 5% uplift and rural designations can add roughly 10%, meaning “you can actually get up to 40% by filming in the region.” She also described a 60-mile “rule zone” that can produce an additional uplift in some cases and warned that the incentive rules are administered through detailed tax-and-revenue audits.

Labart Tapia described the Santa Fe office’s joint city–county memorandum-of-agreement (MOA), how permitting is routed through the office, and the office’s role in scouting locations, permitting, safety oversight, community outreach and education. She said the Santa Fe region logged “about 78 projects last year” under the regional office’s tracking and that since 2016 film production has generated roughly “$3,800,000,000 in direct spend” statewide and about “$1,300,000,000” in the Santa Fe region.

She recommended several options for Taos County: join a regional Northern New Mexico film commission and use a shared MOA, or contract a local part-time liaison who would report to the regional office while permitting, marketing and administration are handled jointly. Labart Tapia said the Santa Fe office’s operating budget is roughly $400,000, funded about $200,000 each from city and county, and suggested Taos could provide a small contract for boots-on-the-ground liaison work while leveraging Santa Fe’s permitting, website and permitting platform.

Commissioners and members of the public asked about local workforce development, housing for productions, protecting cultural resources and how an investment would work administratively. Commissioner Brush and others emphasized integrating film planning with local place-keeping work and Destination Stewardship projects. Labart Tapia said the office already consults with pueblos and private landowners, enforces set-safety standards in permitting and can decline productions on sensitive cultural sites.

Why it matters: Presenters said film production can deliver spending, jobs and broader exposure that benefit local hospitality, restaurants, vendors and creative workforce development. The presentation outlined concrete steps the county could take to participate in the state incentive system and to protect cultural resources while courting productions.

Next steps: Labart Tapia offered to work with Taos County on potential MOA language and recommended the county decide whether it wants a contracted local liaison or to set up its own office. Commissioners asked for follow-up materials and data; Labart Tapia said she would supply production counts and other details after the meeting.

Ending: No formal action or funding commitment was taken at the meeting; the presentation concluded with commissioners asking staff to follow up on specifics and staffing options.