Spotlight on Mexico

Investment continues in Mexico, despite challenges created by a public arts funding restructure from the government of president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that has upset some independent filmmakers. Netflix and Prime Video have made $300m content-spend pledges, and new platforms such as Televisa­Univision’s Vix+ are ramping up.

Privately financed ‘big indies’ are eager to take advantage of Mexico’s obvious appeal, which includes a knowledgeable and deep crew base that is comfortable working on films of all sizes, stunning scenic diversity, robust infrastructure and a passionate film culture. Particular Crowd is in production on Spanish-language Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires (Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios), produced by Warner Bros Animation, Anima and Chatrone.

Overview and productions

Production has wrapped in Mexico City on the revenge thriller Silent Night from action master John Woo. Backed by US-based Capstone, who produce with Thunder Road, the film stars Joel Kinnaman as a father out for revenge. El Estudio is in production for Para­mount+ on comedy Love Is Love (Amor Es Amor), Rob Schneider’s Spanish-­language acting and directing debut. Alejandro G Inarritu wrapped production late last year on Venice 2022 selection Bardo, False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths, the director’s first feature to shoot entirely in his home country since 2000’s Amores Perros. Recent Netflix shoots include Elisa Miller’s drama Don’t Blame Karma! and Qué Viva Mexico! from Luis Estrada.

Many in the business have criticised the public funding situation after Obrador phased out the Foprocine and Fidecine funds — two key pillars of previous administrations’ support of auteur film and higher-budget commercial fare — and introduced the Focine fund to support not just production but distribution, marketing, exhibition and film conservation. Critics say available public funds have dropped by around 30% in recent years and smaller independent projects that struggle to get off the ground must also contend with increased bureaucracy. National film body Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografia (Imcine) reports its annual budget allocation increased from $9.5m (mxn191m) in 2021 to $10m (mxn201m) in 2022, while the amount allocated to the Focine fund has climbed from $5.1m (mxn103m) last year to $5.5m (mxn110m). 

Production has bounced back after Covid and according to the latest edition of Imcine’s Statistical Yearbook Of Mexican Cinema, 259 Mexican films were either produced, awaiting funding, in prep or in post-­production in 2021. Some 56% of those 259 are supported by state funds and Imcine said that 95 were completed last year. The number compares to 111 films produced in 2020 (48% backed by state funding) and 216 in pre-pandemic 2019 (49%).

On the TV front, recent shoots include thriller series Senorita 89 (Starzplay in Latin America and Pantaya in the US), and Dynamo and ViacomCBS’s street-race series Pedal To The Metal (Dale Gas) for Netflix. Upcoming is spy series High Seas (Marea Alta) from El Estudio, which debuts in late 2022 on ViX+, the new Spanish-language platform launched by Televisa­Univision.

Obrador is building his legacy before his term ends in 2024 — he survived a leadership referendum in April — and has thrown himself into statement infrastructure projects. One such initiative is the new Felipe Angeles International Airport, 30 miles north of Mexico City, which is not fully ready but is designed to work with the existing, ageing Mexico City International Airport. If the project succeeds, it could make getting into and around the country easier than it is currently.

Cactus Film and Video have worked on a variety of international projects recently. Most Notably, the Netflix Series How To Change Your Mind by Lucy Walker. We also offered fixing and production services for the ITV series Breaking Dad, in which we travelled from Mexico, through Guatemala Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Panama.

The company also worked with Nat Geo for their show Drain The Ocean and co-produced the award winning film Noche De Fuego with multiple Academy nominations. Our team speak excellent English which makes it easy for us to work with international directors and film crews.

Over the past two years, Baklight have collaborated on the following international projects:
Tequila Patrón campaign with Checo Perez “Driven by passion”

• AMEX “Business Class” campaign (section shot in Mexico)
• COMPLEX & Tequila Patrón Collab with Hit Boy “Mix & Master Campaign”
• Amazon Prime “Bug Out” (Aerial shots in Mexico)
• “How to” for Fiesta Americana in Puerto Vallarta
• Four Seasons Mismaloya, Summit Films
• Puerto Vallarta Open
• Molex Corporate video content
• Bosch Corporate Video Content
• Paige Electric Corporate Video Content
• St Clair Corporate Video Content
• Tequila Patrón – Senkoe Mexican Heritage Tin campaign. 

For 2023, Baklight's CEO/DOP Francisco Herrera also tells KFTV the company are consolidating their remote shoot collaboration system, doing remote video village shoots, as well as camera to cloud.

While Adrien Ledoux of Estudios Churubusco tells KFTV, projects currently lined up for 2023 include: TV series La Jolla, Bandidos for Netflix, Cada Minuto Cuenta for Amazon Prime and Señor de los Cielos T8 for Telemundo, as well as feature film Pedro Páramo for Netflix. 

Locations

Mexico boasts a stunning array of locations, from historical sites to modern cities, lakes to beautiful beaches, and plenty of sites that can be taken over by productions.

“We have shot in a big conference room, an open grill area of a Hacienda, a small cafe,  a large assembley plant, the desert and the beach,“ says Paco Herrera at local production service outfit Baklight to KFTV, who have been busy shooting a number of high-profile commercials and corporate videos on location and remotely. 

While The Cabo Agency has pioneered the production bubble concept in Mexico, offering partial and full property buyouts that include COVID-19 protocols at boutique resorts, luxury estates, high-rises and stage conversions.

Mexico City is the country’s production hub and its greater metropolitan region is home to some 20 million people. The capital offers a broad range of modern and historic architecture that gives producers a lot of options within a manageable distance of each other.

The city is the most popular location because of its diversity of urban sites, large talent pool and easy access with its numerous international flights, says Remi Noiriel from local production service providers Jacaranda Films, which has been shooting several commericals through the pandemic.

Angie Fernandez at local outfit Happy Monster agrees: “The city is a kaleidoscope of cultures and landscapes, from colonial buildings to pyramids, beaches, lakes, cathedrals and temples.

The opening sequence of Bond film, Spectre, was filmed in Mexico City’s Zócalo, a grand square in the megalopolis’s downtown zone, while Sicario 2: Soldado took advantage of some of the city’s neighbourhoods, as did Cuaron’s Roma.

“Mexico City is a great location to film in, but with a dense population of more than 22 million people and a crew of 150 people and 25 trucks for Roma, it was harder to achieve the best filming logistics [than on previous smaller films]. But it was still possible with good collaboration with the city authorities,” says Horacio Rodriguez, LMGI, location manager for Roma.

There are also two studios available, Gabriel García Márquez, which offers six sound stages and post-production facilities, and Churubusco Azteca with eight stages.

However, Guadalajara is “also growing in popularity with big projects migrating there,” insists Herrera at Baklight, which has worked with an array of international clients, including Momentum, Bacardi and the European Union Council. “It offers five ecosystems within a two-hour drive from the city (beaches, mountains, desert, forest and jungle). Any piece of equipment that you need can be found or brought to the city.”

Plus, Guadalajara offers great animation and post-production services. Guillermo del Toro is doing part of his new film, Pinocchio, in the city.  

There are plenty of other incredible shooting locations too. “Depending on the needs of the shoot, Mexico offers a vast array of colourful scenarios, from desert to tropical jungle, volcanoes, beautiful towns rich with culture, and big modern cities,” stresses Daniel Carranza at Cactus Film & Video to KFTV. His company has worked with major clients, including the BBC, across the country. “Guanajuato is a beautiful colonial city located in the centre of the country. There’s Copper Canyon in the northern mountains, full of nature and wildlife, and the Yucatan Peninsula was the homelands for the Mayan civilisation with lots of archaeological sites.”

Mexico has nearly 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which is the highest number of any country in the Americas. The majority are of cultural significance and are clustered in central Mexico City. They include the Zocalo, or main plaza, which is the largest space of its type in the whole of Latin America. Other UNESCO sites include the biosphere reserve Sian Ka’an in the state of Quintana Roo in the far south-east of the country.

The fact that the country is surrounded by the North Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean sea and Gulf of California means “you can literally pick the colour of the sand and size of the tides you wish to shoot,” enthuses Herrera.

On top of that there is a variety of forests, glaciers with snow all through the year, and different types of deserts that look like the Sahara or Arizona. “Mexico is one of the most diverse places in the world,” adds Carranza.

Playing double

For commercials, Mexico is a favourite destination for shoots that need to be 'tropicalised' for Latin America. “We have an assortment of casting options that work for citizens of any Latin country,” says Herrera. “If you need Caribbean locations, Tulun has become a favourite for fashion shoots.”

Those looking to shoot jungle scenes should head to Veracruz and Chiapas, which is where the film Apocalypto was shot. While productions aiming for a Western (as in Old West) look could film in Durango, which has sets ready to use, and “Sinaloa has amazing sand dunes and desert locations too,” adds Herrera.

Mexico also offers a lot of locations that can double for Spanish, French or Italian towns, even small German or Northern European villages. Plus, locations that can double for US locales, especially California.

Mexico offers several appealing locations for film production, including diverse landscapes, historical sites, and affordable production costs compared to other countries. Additionally, its close proximity to the US makes it a convenient location for North American productions, says Baklight's founder and CEO Francisco Herrera.

Certain regions in Mexico have doubling potential, adds Herrera. “They can be used to imitate other locations around the world. For example, the state of Durango has been used to double for the Wild West in various Western films, while the city of Tulum has served as a stand-in for Caribbean and tropical locations.

Location location location

Mexico is a country with a rich and diverse natural and cultural landscape, making it a popular destination for filmmakers, commercial producers, and photographers. Baklight's Herrera lists some of the top locations in Mexico:

• Beaches: Mexico is home to some of the world's most beautiful beaches, with crystal-clear waters, white sand, and tropical landscapes. The popular tourist destinations of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Los Cabos are just a few of the many beautiful beach locations in Mexico.
• Mountains: Mexico is also home to a number of stunning mountain ranges, including the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental. These mountain ranges offer breathtaking views, as well as opportunities for outdoor adventure and recreation.
• Coastal regions: The Pacific and Gulf coasts of Mexico offer rugged and diverse shorelines, from rocky cliffs to sandy beaches. These coastal regions are popular for water sports, as well as for their natural beauty and wildlife.
• Architecture: Mexico is home to a rich cultural heritage, with a wealth of historic and contemporary architecture, including colonial-era cities like San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, as well as modern cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara.
• Wildlife: Mexico is home to a rich and diverse array of wildlife, including species like jaguars, sea turtles, and various species of bird and marine life. These species can be found in a range of habitats, from tropical forests to deserts to coastal ecosystems.
• Demographics: Mexico is a culturally rich and diverse country, with a mix of indigenous, European, and Afro-Mexican populations. This demographic diversity provides a wealth of opportunities for filmmakers and photographers looking to capture the essence of Mexican culture in their work.

Meraki Content's service production director, Nicolas Mandri lists a few more reasons why filmmakers might find Mexico appealing:

• Diverse landscapes: Mexico has a diverse range of landscapes, from the deserts of Baja California to the lush tropical jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula, making it a versatile location for filming a wide range of scenes and genres.
• Rich cultural heritage: Mexico has a rich cultural heritage, with a long history that dates back to ancient civilisations like the Aztecs and Mayans. This history is reflected in the country's architecture, traditions, and customs, which can provide unique and interesting backdrops for films.
•  Experienced film industry: Mexico has a well-established film industry, with a long history of international film production. This means that filmmakers have access to experienced crew, as well as production and post-production facilities, making it a convenient and practical location for filming.
• Attractive tax incentives: Mexico offers attractive tax incentives for foreign film productions, which can help to reduce the cost of filming.
• Warm weather: With its warm climate and year-round sun, Mexico is an appealing location for filmmakers looking to shoot scenes outdoors.

“Stunning coasts, tropical and temperate forests, deserts, mountains and volcanos as well as diverse urban scenery both modern and historic, are just some of the locations Mexico has to offer“, says José Cohen, executive producer at Cactus Film and Video. All together this means that Mexico is the perfect film set that can cater to any productions needs. It also means that wherever you go in Mexico there is endless doubling potential.

“Our forests can double as any rainforest or temporal forest in the world. Our deserts, whilst unique, also resemble other desert landscapes in the world and our coasts, mountains, rivers lakes and waterfalls also serve as great doubling locations. There are a huge variety of cities and towns in Mexico meaning that Mexico offers both modern back drops for example Mexico City and also more rural scenery in the small towns and villages some of which have been used before to film westerns,“ he adds.

Untapped filming locations

Mexico has a vast array of untapped and underutilised filming locations, ranging from “ modern cities to remote natural landscapes“, explains Baklight's CEO/DOP Francisco Herrera. He reveals some of the hidden gems below

• The Copper Canyon: A group of six canyons in the Sierra Madre Occidental, with rugged, untouched beauty that makes for a unique and breathtaking filming location.
  The Yucatan Peninsula: A peninsula that's home to a variety of landscapes, including jungles, cenotes (sinkholes filled with crystal clear water), and ancient ruins like Chichen Itza.
• San Miguel de Allende: A colonial city with well-preserved architecture, narrow cobblestone streets, and vibrant cultural life, it's often considered one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico.
• The Gulf of California: Known for its stunning marine life and diverse landscapes, this region offers a variety of filming opportunities, from underwater scenes to deserts and mountainous terrain.
• The Baja California Peninsula: A desert peninsula with rugged coastline, secluded beaches, and unique rock formations that could provide a distinctive look for any film production.

Infrastructure and crew

Mexico’s renowned crew base brings vast experience from international and Hollywood productions and local projects. Netflix has situated its Latin American headquarters in Mexico City, and a little over an hour’s flight from Los Angeles is Baja Studios, where Titanic was shot, one of several world-class facilities.

José Cohen, executive producer at Mexico's Cactus Film and Video provides specialist equipment available to rent for all types of projects. “Our cinematic lenses are a customer favourite of which we have a vast collection depending on the needs of the DP of the project. At Cactus Film and Video, we make sure to always have the up to date industry standard cameras and equipment. Another thing which distinguishes us is our rich experience in news and live transmissions,“ he explains.

“Our teams' skills and experience has previously meant that Cactus has often been one of the first teams on the ground at many historic events in Mexico and the Latin Americas. Our background in news means that we are well connected to offer fixing services for fiction, reality TV or documentary productions. It also means that our team has experience and training working in hostile environments.“

Meraki Content is an audio-visual production company in Mexico, providing a comprehensive range of services – from location scouting to full-scale project delivery, and is supported by a team of experienced professionals who are known for their creativity, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Meraki Content producer, Nicolas Mandri, says: “With a deep understanding of the local market and strong connections in the industry, we are the ideal partner for production houses, agencies and brands looking to produce outstanding content in Mexico. Moreover, our ability to source the best equipment and crew in Mexico gives our partners the advantage they need to produce top-quality content.“

According to Camilo Falcon, producer at Central Films, Mexico has “state-of-the-art“ film equipment offered by rental houses that have presence both in Mexico and the USA. Falcon adds, the country has become a “production hub that caters not only to commercials but to television series and films.“ Adding that “most of the streaming giants have offices in Mexico and from there attend the region and produce for global audiences. In a smaller scale but the same is happening in the other countries where we are present.“

Central Films itself provides support needed for any kind of production. “Our international vendor and crew network help us deliver specific support for whatever level of technical or professional specification in any kind of circumstance anywhere in America or Europe. Centralising our services contact in the Mexico office we then reach out to our producers in our different offices to deliver the most up to date information required,“ explains Falcon.

Baklight is a full-service production and content creation studio with over 20 years of experience. “As experts in the Tequila landscape and electronic manufacturing industries, we have a deep understanding of the needs and requirements of international productions. With headquarters in Guadalajara, Mexico, our services reach every corner of the country and beyond, delivering world-class content to our clients,“ explains Baklight CEO/DOP Francisco Herrera.

Their three divisions: Tailored Content Creation, Production Services, and Finishing allows them to specialise in bidding to scouting, casting, permits, logistics, and specialised services like local crew assembly and equipment rental, plus more. Their rental house features top-brand cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, and expendables, and have the capability to source any specific equipment that clients require.

“We pride ourselves on our highly skilled, multicultural, and multilingual tech crews, directors, editors, and post-production experts, who bring their expertise and award-winning experience to every project. Our Postproduction division has evolved with the times, offering remote video village and shoot infrastructure, camera to cloud solutions, and an experienced editorial crew to support your project from start to finish.“

With over 70 years of experience, Estudios Churubusco has positioned itself as a leading production house of Latin America. It boasts one of the foremost facilities in the territory with six hectares area distributed in: Stages, warehouses, production offices, film laboratory, digital laboratory, 7.1 and 5.1 Mixing Sound Room, and the biggest recording music room with orchestra in the region, dedicated to music creation for cinema and series.

Click here to see selected production service companies in Mexico.

Click here to see the full filming guide for Mexico.

Read the full report in our latest edition of World of Locations.