Reminder: From New Mexico to Austin: Celebrate the State's Film Impact

Be Inspired by the Creative Collaborations Happening in NM!

From the Director's Desk

I was standing backstage a few weeks ago at South by Southwest in Austin waiting for our panel to start. The filmmakers behind the indie feature "He Bled Neon" were chatting with us about their experience shooting the film in New Mexico a few months prior.

We talked about the high points: The incentive, the crew, the vendors, the cast, the locations, and other draws.

When I asked Director Drew Kirsch if there were any particular shoutouts he wanted to make on our impending panel, he surprised me. “There was this restaurant. This little steak place called Antiquity,” he said. “It was amazing. They really took care of us. And they helped me get through this film.”

At the film office, we talk daily with producers about the virtues of shooting in the Land of Enchantment. We talk with filmmakers who have shot here about what they have coming up. Everyone who’s filmed here has a different reason for wanting to come back. Sometimes it’s as simple as a local restaurant with an amazing menu and careful attention to service that comforts a ragged director and team in the middle of a long and rough schedule. It keeps them here and keeps them coming back.

It also impacts local business. The film industry had more than $500M of fiscal impact in the state last year. That benefits crew and cast, but also vendors, service providers, gas stations, restaurants and many other small businesses.

As we walked out on stage, they were still talking about the meals they had in New Mexico. And they were talking about what they would have when they come back.

Steve Graham

Director, New Mexico Film Office

SXSW 2026

'Something That's Actually Fruitful': New Mexico Film Gets Spotlight in Austin

At SXSW 2026, New Mexico showed up through the voices, ideas and collaborations of the people shaping today’s film industry.

In partnership with the Technology and Innovation Office (TIO) and NM Economic Development Department, the New Mexico House showcased New Mexico's growing creative and technology industries.

At the New Mexico House, creators and industry leaders gathered for "From Script to Scale: Constructing the Business of Storytelling in New Mexico." The conversation explored how location, talent and creative vision come together — highlighting how New Mexico’s landscapes and experienced crews support projects from concept to completion.

The New Mexico-filmed "He Bled Neon" premiered at the festival. Drew Kirsch and Nate Bolotin — film director and producer — spoke about filming in Albuquerque and how the production utilized the state's film incentives.

Bolotin said the incentives and crew members both played a big role in making the movie in New Mexico. He touched on how the film used the Film Crew Advancement Program, which allows the production to hire a New Mexico resident in a higher position.

"We're trying to figure out how to, especially in the indie sphere, deliver a film that can make its investors their money back and be something that's actually fruitful," Bolotin said.

Kirsch knew the location had to double for Las Vegas, Nevada, and said Albuquerque had "so much character, so much texture."

Across SXSW, that same story carried forward. At the featured session "Albuquerque Aftermath: From Breaking Bad to Pluribus," Vince Gilligan, Rhea Seehorn, and their collaborators reflected on the creative partnerships built in Albuquerque — demonstrating how a place can support not just a single production, but an evolving body of work.

Ahead of the session, connections were made with industry voices, which looks promising for future New Mexico projects.

Together, these moments reflect what continues to define New Mexico: a creative environment shaped by collaboration, continuity, and the people who choose to tell their stories here.

FILM OFFICE NEWS

NMFO Up for Two Global Production Awards

The New Mexico Film Office has been named a finalist for Film Commission of the Year, State, Province & National, at the 2026 Global Production Awards, competing alongside California, New Zealand and Australia on one of the film industry's most prestigious international stages.

We're also shortlisted for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award for Rooted Representation: Authentic Storytelling in New Mexico, recognizing our commitment to building an environment where productions can tell culturally authentic stories and create real opportunity for underrepresented communities.

The awards are presented by Screen International at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, alongside finalists that include Netflix, NBCUniversal and HBO.

This recognition belongs to every New Mexico crew member, every local business, and every community that has welcomed a production. More than $3 billion in direct economic impact over five years. Thousands of jobs. We're just getting started.

‘I’ll Be Gone in June’ To Premiere at Cannes

It’s been two years since production of “I’ll Be Gone in June” set foot in New Mexico to film.

On May 17, the film will debut at the Festival de Cannes — bringing the New Mexico landscape to a global audience.

“I’ll Be Gone in June” is directed by Katharina Rivilis and is produced by Léa Germain. The film is set in 2001, and follows Franny, a 16-year-old exchange student from Germany, who arrives in the sleepy desert town of Las Cruces. Far from home, Franny struggles through awkward school days, stifling heat, and restless nights until she meets Elliott, a boy whose quiet sadness mirrors her own. As America reels from 9/11, something resonates within Franny and an unexpected tenderness begins to bloom.

Rivilis and Germain said the project chose to film in New Mexico because of the state's rich desert landscapes and its ability to capture the essence of small-town life.

The production employed over 50 New Mexicans, including 25 resident crew members, 22 resident principal…