Did you know that Hollywood settled in Los Angeles, United States, because of its diverse natural landscapes? In this American city, you can find everything from the desert to lush forests to snowy paradises, allowing the film industry to make these landscapes the protagonists of their stories. And, according to Felipe Luna and Brissa Piñera, president and director of the National Chamber of the Film Industry (Canacine) in Querétaro, our state enjoys that same potential.
“The reason Hollywood is located in Los Angeles is because it’s cheaper to move productions within the same state, and because it has all the climates available, it was the ideal destination. In Mexico, Querétaro enjoys this same diversity of ecosystems. In fact, in 2023 we produced a series set in European countries, but it was filmed in the municipalities of Querétaro, because we found forests, deserts, etc.,” shares Brissa Piñera, director of Canacine Querétaro, in an interview with this newspaper.
According to the research Biodiversity in Querétaro: State Study, published by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio), nine types of vegetation and approximately 13 subtypes that can be considered ecosystems are identified in the demarcation, which reinforces the argument provided by the Canacine Querétaro representative.
Her film is part of the Ambulante Festival program, which celebrates 20 years of promoting documentary filmmaking in the country.
According to information provided by the Chamber, there are 20 production companies and four film equipment rental companies in the state. Since 2020, 12 local productions have been made in feature-length formats, either fiction or documentary (although the director emphasized that fiction predominates), and five have been produced by foreign producers. Similarly, more than 200 short films (fiction and documentary) have been produced; all from Querétaro.
Among the most notable series that have chosen Querétaro as a location in the last decade are Disney’s The Secret Score: The Lead Enigma, which was filmed in Peña de Bernal; Children of the Earth, whose filming set spanned eight municipalities in the state; Mission Accomplished, a documentary miniseries available on YouTube; Noche de Fuego, by Tatiana Huezo, which was filmed in Neblinas, a town in Landa de Matamoros; Y Veneciano, a television series directed and produced by Eugenio Derbez, which filmed some scenes in Cadereyta de Montes and the Teatro de la República in the Historic Center, to name a few projects.
Economic Benefits of Film Development
The growth of the film industry in Querétaro will not only benefit those directly involved in it, Brissa Piñera shares, but will also generate a broader economic impact.
“Only 30 percent of the revenue generated by a film or any audiovisual production is related to cinema, as 70 percent impacts other industries that are not directly related to it; for example, transportation, catering, restaurants, hotels, costume and makeup industries, etc. The revenue generated is extremely significant, and in fact, the Gross Domestic Product generated by the film industry in Mexico City is greater than that generated by the aeronautical and automotive industries here in Querétaro,” Piñera emphasized.
Filming in Querétaro, a viable option for filmmakers
According to Mauricio Falcón, head of the Querétaro State Film Commission of the State Tourism Secretariat (Sectur), the industry has grown in our state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, they have detected interest from brands such as Hyundai and Alpura in filming commercials in Querétaro, and at least the agency has sought to support the process of obtaining permits.
“So far, we haven’t charged any fees for companies to film in Querétaro. There are restrictions in the historic district, mainly imposed by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) or the Historic Center delegation. But at least we’re responsible for ensuring that projects comply with the deadlines for processing their permits. It takes us between 15 and 20 days to provide a response to filmmakers,” the official shared.
On the other hand, Canacine has done important work for the local industry by building relationships with entrepreneurs in Mexico City and negotiating with local businesses, primarily to offer affordable prices for foreign productions.
“What we’re interested in, in addition to incentivizing local activity, is attracting projects from other states,” commented Felipe Luna, president of Canacine. “We’ve reached agreements with companies that rent equipment in Mexico City so they won’t be charged for the mileage they travel to come here, because their business model is to charge a certain amount per kilometer traveled. So we’ve agreed that this won’t be charged and that additional pieces of equipment, which are essential for filming, will also be provided. We’ll even have a meeting with business leaders on June 5th so they can learn about Article 189, which is a tax benefit allowing companies to contribute 10 percent of their annual ISR (income tax) to Eficine (a stimulus aimed at supporting the production or post-production of feature films, as well as the distribution and exhibition of Mexican cinema),” he added.
Screen Tourism, the Future of Querétaro
Choosing Querétaro as a destination for filming movies will not only fill Querétaro residents with pride after seeing its landscapes immortalized on screen, but will also attract a wave of moviegoers who will boost a particular type of tourism: screen tourism.
“Movie fans always find where their favorite movie was filmed; that’s a guarantee. For example, the Endor Forest from Star Wars was filmed in a forest in San Francisco, and many people go there simply because they know it was where the movie was filmed. Fans go to those places just to take a photo. In Querétaro, we have sufficient ecosystems to transport viewers to any type of story or fictional universe,” concluded the president of Canacine Querétaro.
Because of this audience interest, Canacine representatives believe the number of visitors to the state’s towns will increase as more and more productions are made in Querétaro. In fact, residents of Neblinas, in Landa de Matamoros, claim they have received visits from outsiders asking about the locations where Noche de Fuego was filmed.
Source: oem
