LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – While Albuquerque and Santa Fe tend to attract more big-budget studio films, Las Cruces has become a haven for independent filmmakers. There are also several new facilities in development, including a 36,440-square-foot soundstage and an NMSU complex, that are expected to boost the industry in Las Cruces. With unique locations and consistent weather conditions, Las Cruces is an ideal film hub for many productions.
Also in 2019, Senate Bill 2: Film Tax Credit Changes, more than doubled the cap on rebate payments to qualified film and television productions in New Mexico. Additionally, it provides a 5% credit for productions that film in Las Cruces or anywhere 60 miles or more outside of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, both major film hubs in the state in their own right.
20th Century
All but three or four of the twenty-one movie theaters that have existed at some point in Las Cruces are now forgotten. However, movie historians should be familiar with the Airdome Theater, which debuted in 1914 as an automobile drive-in theater, twenty years before movie history asserts the drive-in originated.
During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Orville Wanzer was a trailblazing but relatively unknown filmmaker whose work shaped the formation of “the modern western” and independent avant-garde filmmaking in the US, especially in the borderlands. In 1959, Wanzer was hired to teach English at New Mexico State University. Along with starting NMSU’s first filmmaking department, he also taught photography and film history. Dr. Julia Smith, an English professor at New Mexico State University, found Wanzer’s film reels in the NMSU Archives and recently digitized Wanzer’s 1965 film “The Devil’s Mistress” as part of her project to preserve Las Cruces’ and NMSU’s film history.
- Mexican Border Defenders, 1911
- The Devil’s Mistress, 1965
- Hang ‘Em High, 1968
- Up in the Cellar, 1970
- Truck Stop Women, 1974
- Lost in America, 1985
- Mad Love, 1995
- Lolita, 1997
2000s
New Mexico offers one of the most competitive film tax credits in the country, with a base rate of 25% and bonus incentives for filming in rural areas. This tax credit first went into effect in 2003 and led to a significant boost in state production.
The 2000s brought both award-winning and franchise films to the Las Cruces area, putting the town on the map for larger studios. While some big-budget movies were filmed around the area, especially at the nearby White Sands National Park, Las Cruces continued to house many independent films as well.
- Traffic, 2000
- All the Pretty Horses, 2000
- The Missing, 2003
- Brokeback Mountain, 2005
- Transformers, 2007
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, 2007
- La Mesa, 2008
- Burning Plain, 2008
- Not Forgotten, 2009
2010s
In 2019, an additional 5% tax credit went into effect for qualified productions in New Mexico areas at least 60 miles outside Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The now 10% filming uplift zone covers most of the state, including Las Cruces, in an attempt to incentivize productions to move to more rural areas.
The Las Cruces International Film Festival began in 2015 with only one guest and 60 films. Now, in the festival’s 10th year, 26 guests attended, and 164 films from 40 different countries were screened. While the festival acts as a showcase for independent filmmaking, it doubles as a hands-on learning experience for students at NMSU. The event is now the largest film festival in the United States run by a university, headed by students at NMSU’s Creative Media Institute.
- Due Date, 2010
- Paul, 2011
- The Odd Way Home, 2013
- Two Men In Town, 2014
- 50 to 1, 2014
- Easters, 2015
- The Heart Outright, 2016
- Devil in the City of Crosses, 2016
- Captain Fantastic, 2016
- River, 2017
- Lost Padre Mine, 2017
- The Mule, 2018
- All the World is Sleeping, 2018
- 12 Strong, 2018
2020s
Las Cruces made MovieMaker Magazine’s annual list of “Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker—Small Cities and Towns” three years in a row (2023-2025), currently sitting at number 8. The magazine noted Las Cruces’ attractive film tax incentives and rapidly growing film scene in their ranking.
New Mexico marked a historic milestone in 2024 when the film industry generated over $1 billion for the economy, with Las Cruces contributing $7 million on its own. Filming helps to boost the local economy in many ways, including hotel bookings, prop purchases, and hiring local talent for both cast and crew.
- Death in Texas, 2020
- Broken Gaiete, 2020
- Banging Lanie, 2020
- Walking with Herb, 2021
- Dig, 2022
- Detective Knight: Rogue, 2022
- Chupa, 2023
- The Locksmith, 2023
- Wanted Man, 2024
- Santa’s Cousin, 2024
- In the Summers, 2024
- Olmo, 2025
The Future
New Mexico has pledged $3 million in Local Economic Development Act funds, and Las Cruces-based film company 828 Productions expects to invest $75 million in film infrastructure by 2031 and create 100 full-time jobs with an average salary of $75,000 per year by 2029.
The New Mexico Economic Development Department recently partnered with New Mexico State University to begin building a studio with a 20,000-square-foot soundstage on NMSU’s campus. A professional film production management entity will be employed to run the studio, giving students the opportunity to work on film productions.
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