Incentivos Fiscales para la cinematografía en México / Mexico Film Incentives - Tax Rebate

El Presidente Felipe Calderón presentó el 9 de Marzo de 2010 en Baja Studios en Rosarito, Baja California el programa de apoyo a la industria cinematográfica que comprende una serie de incentivos, facilidades y estímulos para producciones extranjeras interesadas en filmar en México.

Incentivo: reintegración en efectivo de hasta 7.5% de los gastos locales comprobados, elegibles las películas y series de televisión que gasten en México un mínimo de 75 millones de pesos (mdp) en producción y/o 20 mdp en posproducción.

Hasta un 5% adicional de los gastos comprobados aplicables, si la filmación cumple con los siguientes criterios de promoción de la imagen de México:

• Uso y expresión clara de procedencia de locaciones mexicanas en contextos positivos a la imagen del país.
• Uso de un mínimo de talento clave nacional, tanto en el elenco como en la producción.
• Un 70% mínimo de la filmación/grabación deberá ser realizada en México.
• Producciones cuya trama presente a nuestro país en una óptica favorable y positiva
  

Todas las solicitudes y tramites de carácter operativo para las producciones deberán ser resueltas en un plazo no mayor a las 2 semanas posteriores a la aplicación

• INAMI
• SEDENA
• SHCP/SAT
• PFP
• SE
• CPTM
• CONACYT
• SEMARNAT
• INAH
• ProMéxico
  

President Felipe Calderón presented on March 9, 2010 in Baja Studios in Rosarito, Baja California a program to support the film industry comprising a number of incentives, facilities and incentives for foreign productions interested in filming in Mexico.

Incentive: Cash rebate up to 7.5% of local expenditures, eligible films and television shows that spend in Mexico a minimum of 75 million (pesos) in production and /or 20 million (pesos) in postproduction.

Up to an additional 5% rebate, if the film meets the following criteria to promote the image of Mexico:

• Use of clear expression and origin of Mexican locations in positive contexts.
• Use a minimum of national key talent, both in talent and production crew.
• A 70% minimum of filming / recording shall be made in Mexico.
• Productions whose plot presents the country in a favorable and positive way.
  

All applications and paperwork made to government agencies must be resolved within a period no longer than 2 weeks after the application has been submitted.

• INAMI
• SEDENA
• SHCP/SAT
• PFP
• SE
• CPTM
• CONACYT
• SEMARNAT
• INAH
• ProMéxico

Variety, Hollywood Reporter

Is Mexico Dangerous? A Journalist from New York point of view

By Linda Ellerbee,

Sometimes I've been called a maverick because I don't always agree with my colleagues, but then, only dead fish swim with the stream all the time. The stream here is Mexico.

You would have to be living on another planet to avoid hearing how dangerous Mexico has become, and, yes, it's true drug wars have escalated violence in Mexico, causing collateral damage, a phrase I hate. Collateral damage is a cheap way of saying that innocent people, some of them tourists, have been robbed, hurt or killed.

But that's not the whole story. Neither is this. This is my story.

I'm a journalist who lives in New York City, but has spent considerable time in Mexico, specifically Puerto Vallarta, for the last four years. I'm in Vallarta now. And despite what I'm getting from the U.S. media, the 24-hour news networks in particular, I feel as safe here as I do at home in New York, possibly safer.

I walk the streets of my Vallarta neighborhood alone day or night. And I don't live in a gated community, or any other All-Gringo neighborhood. I live in Mexico. Among Mexicans. I go where I want (which does not happen to include bars where prostitution and drugs are the basic products), and take no more precautions than I would at home in New York; which is to say I don't wave money around, I don't act the Ugly American, I do keep my eyes open, I'm aware of my surroundings, and I try not to behave like a fool.

I've not always been successful at that last one. One evening a friend left the house I was renting in Vallarta at that time, and, unbeknownst to me, did not slam the automatically-locking door on her way out. Sure enough, less than an hour later a stranger did come into my house. A burglar? Robber? Kidnapper? Killer? Drug lord?

No, it was a local police officer, the "beat cop" for our neighborhood, who, on seeing my unlatched door, entered to make sure everything (including me) was okay. He insisted on walking with me around the house, opening closets, looking behind doors and, yes, even under beds, to be certain no one else had wandered in, and that nothing was missing. He was polite, smart and kind, but before he left, he lectured me on having not checked to see that my friend had locked the door behind her. In other words, he told me to use my common sense.

Do bad things happen here? Of course they do. Bad things happen everywhere, but the murder rate here is much lower than, say, New Orleans, and if there are bars on many of the ground floor windows of houses here, well, the same is true where I live, in Greenwich Village, which is considered a swell neighborhood - house prices start at about $4 million (including the bars on the ground floor windows.)

There are good reasons thousands of people from the United States are moving to Mexico every month, and it's not just the lower cost of living, a hefty tax break and less snow to shovel. Mexico is a beautiful country, a special place.

The climate varies, but is plentifully mild, the culture is ancient and revered, the young are loved unconditionally, the old are respected, and I have yet to hear anyone mention Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Madonna's attempt to adopt a second African child, even though, with such a late start, she cannot possibly begin to keep up with Angelina Jolie.

And then there are the people. Generalization is risky, but- in general - Mexicans are warm, friendly, generous and welcoming. If you smile at them, they smile back. If you greet a passing stranger on the street, they greet you back. If you try to speak even a little Spanish, they tend to treat you as though you were fluent. Or at least not an idiot.

I have had taxi drivers track me down after leaving my wallet or cell phone in their cab. I have had someone run out of a store to catch me because I have overpaid by twenty cents. I have been introduced to and come to love a people who celebrate a day dedicated to the dead as a recognition of the cycles of birth and death and birth - and the 15th birthday of a girl, an important rite in becoming a woman - with the same joy.

Too much of the noise you're hearing about how dangerous it is to come to Mexico is just that - noise. But the media love noise, and too many journalists currently making it don't live here. Some have never even been here. They just like to be photographed at night, standing near a spotlighted border crossing, pointing across the line to some imaginary country from hell. It looks good on TV.

Another thing. The U.S. media tend to lump all of Mexico into one big bad bowl. Talking about drug violence in Mexico without naming a state or city where this is taking place is rather like looking at the horror of Katrina and saying, "Damn. Did you know the U.S. is under water?" or reporting on the shootings at Columbine or the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City by saying that kids all over the U.S. are shooting their classmates and all the grownups are blowing up buildings. The recent rise in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred in a few states, and especially along the border. It is real, but it does not describe an entire country.

It would be nice if we could put what's going on in Mexico in perspective, geographically and emotionally. It would be nice if we could remember that, as has been noted more than once, these drug wars wouldn't be going on if people in the United States didn't want the drugs, or if other people in the United States weren't selling Mexican drug lords the guns.

Most of all, it would be nice if more people in the United States actually came to this part of America (Mexico is also America, you will recall) to see for themselves what a fine place Mexico really is, and how good a vacation (or a life) here can be.

So come on down and get to know your southern neighbors. I think you'll like it here. Especially the people.

Some Films Produced in Mexico

- Viaggio a Tulum produced by Ultra Films
- City of Ember produced by Walden Media
- Dragonball Evolution produced by 20th Century Fox
- You Don’t Mess with the Zohan produced by Sony Pictures
- Jumper produced by 20th Century Fox
- The Perfect Game produced by Lions Gate
- Into The Wild produced by Paramount Vantage
- Resident Evil: Extinction produced by Impact Pictures / Sony Pictures
- Ghosts of the Abyss produced by Earthship / Walt Disney Pictures
- The Fast and the furious produced by Universal Pictures
- Kung Pow: Enter The Fist produced by 20th Century Fox / O Entertainment
- The Weight of Water
- Deep Blue Sea produced by Warner Bros
- In Dreams produced by DreamWorks Pictures SKG
- 007 James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies
- Titanic produced by 20th Century Fox

Film Studios in Mexico

BAJA STUDIOS

Originally built for 20th Century Fox epic Titanic Baja Studios is a completely self contained production facility.

Construction of the facility began on June 6, 1996 and since that time various films and other projects in addition to Titanic have used the facility, site improvement and expansion is ongoing. The present complex is located on 35 acres overlooking the Pacific coast with more than 2,000 feet of ocean front near the Mexican resort community of Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico.

Unobstructed views of the ocean, a combined tank volume of over 20 million gallons and a modern filtration plant capable of delivering 9,000 gallons filtered sea water per minute make Baja Studios the premier facility for water related work of any kind.

Tank 1 provides an additional 350,000 square feet of exterior shooting space, flooded or dry. Optional real estate acquisition allows for easy expansion. Some of the world’s largest stages and filming tanks work in concert with offices, scenery shops, dressing rooms, wardrobe facilities to accomplish most filming requirements.

The location provides access to the dynamic technical and artistic of both nations. Numerous hotels, condominiums and restaurants serve the resort area.

CHURUBUSCO

Churubusco Studios is a company the provides support services to preproduction, production and post production for the film industry, televisión, video and music, in includes rentals from offices, storage space and stages to film development and copies, THX recording, digital post production, dubbing rooms and music recording room.

Take One - Tips Filming in Mexico – Union

Foreign television and film production companies producing in Mexico are required to sign a labor agreement for technicians, with the exception of commercials, music videos, photo shoots and documentaries, the three film unions are STIC, SITATYR and STYM. It’s recommended to have a Mexican Production Services company, Mexican Producer or Unit Production Manager to negotiate your agreement with a technicians union, most terms and crew rates are negotiated on a project to project basis.

For actors there is only one union ANDA (National Association of Actors) as well as with the technician’s union foreign production companies are required to sign an agreement with the exception of commercials, music videos, photo shoots and documentaries.

Both technician and actors union consents are required to obtain immigration work visas with the exception of commercials, music videos, photo shoots and documentaries.

Take One - Mexico Film Locations

Thanks to great film production companies that trusted us with their projects, we proudly have experience in the following Mexican locations, although we are not limited to only work in these locations.

Baja California
Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, Tecate, Ensenada, San Felipe

Baja California Sur
Loreto, La Paz, Cabo San Lucas

Sonora
San Luis Rio Colorado, El Golfo

Durango
Durango, Mexiquillo

Zacatecas
Sierra de Organos

Nuevo Leon
Monterrey

Mexico City

Morelos
Cuernavaca, Tepoztlan

Guerrero
Acapulco

Veracruz
Veracruz, Tlacotalpan, Catemaco

Quintana Roo
Cancun, Playa del Carmen

Take One - Mexico Production Services

Here’s a list of the film production services we offer in Mexico:

Production Management
Budget preparation
Legal advise and referral
Fiscal advice and referral
Legal status in México
Set up bank accounts
Translations
You retain all copyrights and script control

Production Coordination
Housing
Transportation
Aerial
Ground
Local
Local Services
Catering
Cell phones
Office equipment

Equipment rental
Lighting
Camera
Cranes
Heavy equipment

Crew management
Payroll management
Crew hires and termination
Insurance
Legal assistances

Locations
Scouts
Locations contracts

Permits
Immigration
Work visas for foreign crew
Customs
Temporary import and export of equipment
Import of expendables

Unions
Union deals for technicians
Union deals for actors

Casting
Talent
Extras