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Santa Fe Film Office briefs Finance Committee on growth, training partnerships and new locations directory
Summary
Jennifer Labartapia, Santa Fe Film Commissioner, told the Finance Committee the city-county film office remains a high-ranked small-city filming destination, supports local crew and vendors, and is building a searchable locations directory and training partnerships including NYU Tisch and community college programs.
Jennifer Labartapia, Santa Fe Film Commissioner, presented the joint city-county Santa Fe Film Office's FY26 report and budget outline to the Finance Committee on March 4, highlighting local economic impacts, workforce training and a forthcoming interactive locations directory.
Labartapia told the committee that MovieMaker magazine has ranked Santa Fe the top small-city place to live and work as a filmmaker for multiple years and that the region benefits from both state incentives and local permitting support. "The Santa Fe Film Office is responsible for recruiting film and television into our region. We're responsible for community outreach. We're responsible for training," Labartapia said, noting the office is funded equally by the city and the county under an existing memorandum of agreement.
Key takeaways - Economic impact: Labartapia cited industry figures showing the film industry brought about $1.6 billion into the Santa Fe economy (within statewide film numbers reported since 2016). The office said film production supports crew jobs, hospitality, construction materials, suppliers and location services. - Permitting and logistics: The Film Office handles permitting for city and county jurisdictions using an office-managed online permit that routes items to city or county reviewers as appropriate; Labartapia said staff and municipal reviewers have adjusted to film production's tight scheduling needs. - Workforce and training partnerships: The office highlighted partnerships with Santa Fe Community College, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), NYU Tisch (a pilot directors'program for indigenous filmmakers) and the Stagecoach Foundation to create hands-on training and career pathways. - New resources: The film office is launching a RealScout-powered locations directory, including community-upload features for private owners and a professional photo library to help scouts identify suitable sites.
Committee discussion Councilors praised the industry's local economic benefits and asked about office capacity and staffing. Labartapia said hiring a film coordinator last year eased workload and that the office seeks additional, targeted capacity to coordinate outreach to northern communities and the eight northern Pueblos.
Action Committee members approved the Film Office budget during the session by roll-call vote. The committee recorded a motion, a second and a roll-call approval; staff were asked to continue workforce training partnerships and the locations-directory rollout.
Ending Labartapia said the office would continue to emphasize local hiring, training and cross-jurisdictional coordination so productions staying in the region bring spending to Santa Fe businesses.
