Exemplary alliance between government and private enterprise to boost the audiovisual industry

Javier Espinoza, Commissioner of Cinematography for the State of Baja California, and Walter von Borstel, Canacine delegate in that state, commented that they are working in tandem for the benefit of the film industry in the region. Hence, they signed an agreement in December of last year to professionalize the industry, and in general, they collaborate closely to drive the sector forward.

Von Borstel mentioned that despite Canacine’s delegation being only two years old, they have established a strong relationship, which is crucial. “Fortunately, we have the complicity of three government secretariats: Economy —which oversees the Film Commission under the Creative Industries area—, Tourism, and Culture,” he commented.

Recently, after adapting a law, all sectors began deliberating in a Council, where the government participates —represented in the three secretariats plus Finance, responsible for resources—, academia represented by film schools, private enterprise, with studios, production companies, and workers. This instance allows for the review of policies for the audiovisual industry with the participation of all stakeholders.

The Baja California Film Commission was formed in 1998, following the construction of what is now Baja Studios, built for filming the movie Titanic.

“We have a geographically privileged state with a border, two seas, only seven municipalities, making it easy to produce. We have international airports within cities, forums, and infrastructure, beyond Baja Studios, which has seven forums and a tank that is the largest in Latin America. There are several film schools with programs including animation and special effects, and we receive 150 to 180 audiovisual projects annually,” said Espinoza.

He mentioned that a challenge is not only to generate the industry but also to provide maintenance. In other words, to support the establishment of production companies, ensuring they are in compliance with tax matters and adequately trained. “This is what we work on together because the government alone cannot do it,” he explained. Therefore, the professionalization project is one of the pillars in 2023, they said.

Both affirmed that the example set by Jalisco, with its incentives for the audiovisual industry, opens the door to similar initiatives in other states. “Baja California receives a lot of American and international production. However, in this international scheme, incentives are a pending request. Our strengths have been the locations and the quality of the crew we have, but a production can decide among many variables where to film. Therefore, this issue is an important pending matter,” said Espinoza.