EL PASO, TX (KTSM) – Pretty soon, if you’re watching a movie with a desert background behind it, it is probably going to be from one of the many landscapes in New Mexico which is why students and professors are looking forward to the growth of the New Mexico film industry.

One of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s goals when she took office was to grow the film industry in the state which began the film incentive program, which pays the film production for investing in the state of New Mexico. This spending also helps New Mexico’s economy as film productions spend what the need to make a movie and house their workers.

While New Mexico may be known for gas and agriculture with this record spending the state could become the fourth largest film economy in the country and actually pass Georgia for the title NMSU film professor ross marks is excited for his students because it gives them the incentive for them to stay in the state

“For our film students they don’t have to leave the state because the jobs are here right now in the state of New Mexico the demand for people to work in film or television is greater than the supply.”

For filmmaker and NMSU student Freddy Ronquillo having the access and the opportunities closer to home makes his dreams and his goals more reachable.

“if I were to chase my film dreams in either LA or Austin those are very saturated places where it be harder to break into the industry however were right here in the beginning of the boom and there’s not a lot of people doing what we’re doing here and it’s really becoming a necessity for our community.”

 For Ronquillo New Mexico is still an untapped market for talent and it’s just a matter of time before the state becomes a major hub.

“I think that there’s so many artistic people that have yet to be discovered and now that we are having a platform to go ahead and make major art feature films to reach out to different parts of the world and people are seeing that it’s actually a thriving place.”

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