Tito Chavez is the President of The New Mexico Film Producers Association

This year we want to lobby:

1.To put the NM Film Commission back into place to police transparency issue.
In, 2020 when Incentive was created it was Gov. Johnson, NM Film Commission, NM Film Office, IATSE 480, Legislators, and many filmmakers. Today Gov. Richardson, NM Film Office, IATSE 480.

2. Lower the film incentive program to $150k – $15 Million for New Mexico Producers Only. A New Mexican must have been a residence for one year or be a property owner. Same parameters regarding Distribution.

3. Mandatory Mentor-ship Program for New Mexicans. Any film production that uses film incentive to represent 100% percent of their film budget must mentor a New Mexican in the Above-the-Line component for that production. Producer, Director, Writer. etc. This will be done by a draw system and the person must have not worked for that Producer before. EX. (Breaking Bad, In Plain Sight, Krash, Scoundrels…etc…)

3. Create a 30% Percent tax rebate for VFX and Post-Production Companies to relocate to New Mexico creating jobs. With Post-Production NM will be a full fledged film producing center from beginning to end. We must create a rebate for companies who are moving to other countries because our Incentive is questioned every year.

Building a New Mexico funded Post-Production house is a bad idea as it only benefits a few New Mexicans and will cost billions to construct and buy software and needed educational advancement training for the software and equipment. Once the Software is purchased and the few New Mexicans that benefited from a State Funded Production House will still be considered a shortfall because they will still lack the experience in credits to service Hollywood. Hollywood distribution is all about names attached and these New Mexicans that want to build a Post-Production House claim they have the knowledge to service Hollywood if they have help to build a post-production house. They are misleading us and would have added product value to Hollywood picture projects by now if they possessed the experience and knowledge they claim they have. The State Funding a Post Production House for New Mexicans who are self proclaiming VFX artists would be a mistake and reminds me of the turmoil Albuquerque Studios faces today. The individuals who seek State Funding lack the experience and knowledge needed for the innovative VFX craft in the industry. Any person in the Industry funded themselves for Post-Production and never relied on State Offices for money. This State does not have the software necessary at this time for VFX and Post-Production. The Future of the Film industry is towards VFX and Post-Production Houses. Post- Production Houses are houses that are made up of freelance computer animators. The more budget the picture has the more freelancers work on your picture and add visual effects. The certain individuals who want State funding and want to dictate freelancers are the few who would benefit if any. The individual few who pitched the idea to the State are instructors of Colleges and Universities who have spent enough tax dollars with little results for students up to this point. Some are long time products form the Duke City Shootout who have a poor record. Public and Private employment and personal advancement seriously needs to get looked at by the new Administration. We the State, do need to spend more money instead we need to attract businesses that possess the knowledge in Post-Production creating jobs for New Mexicans. If we fund a Post-Production House it will fall under the anti-donation clause and we will have a Post-Production house with Artists that have no names. Film Distribution would consider no-names to be non-merchantability. We currently have NM Filmmakers who cannot service the Hollywood Distribution needs but insist that they want to open a post-production house. Our New Mexicans lack what Distribution seeks product quality and henceforth, cannot forecast training and job demands if they do not have a working knowledge of the film industry. Why spend more dollars when our NM Filmmakers cannot help Produce or Service Hollywood right now? They have no credits of worth or bring a good name to a package. Actors have not succeeded from New Mexico as leads for this reason. The favored connections Hollywood uses here in New Mexico has grown to its capabilities as a NM Film Industry and taxpayers have paid a pretty penny for Favorited people from New Mexico for the Film Industry. Favoritism not only hurts the NM Film Industry but kills it all together. NM Film Favoritism and Film Production Benefits have turned into a political kickback benefiting only certain individuals and certain areas while not creating a growth in skill or experience. Maybe the benefits are questionable and lack transparency because they don’t exist? I personally would like a New Director at The New Mexico Film Office and at The Albuquerque Film Office they have done nothing to better the industry just hinder it and ignore the NM Filmmakers needs and wants.

Desert Rain 2011
Ancient Bloodlines 2011
Locked 2011

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2010/03/22/story8.html

CONTACT INFO:

Tiguex Productions
Tito Chavez
tito@tiguex.com

Help State Grow Its Own Film Industry

By Tito Chavez
Founder, New Mexico Film Producers Association
Since its inception in 2002, the New Mexico film incentive program has been a success by most measures.
It has brought attention to New Mexico as a filmmaking center. It has brought millions in revenue to the state. It has resulted in thousands of hours of work for film crews, and millions in income taxes to the state treasury.
It has attracted much of the necessary infrastructure to further the industry, including soundstages. While there are still some questions about the actual numbers and economic benefits, we, as part of the filmmaking community, have no doubt the incentives have been a positive to the state in an otherwise down economy.
But the state does face challenges. There has been a backlash against the film incentives from some state legislators who remain unconvinced of the benefits to the state. And there is growing competition from other states that are trying to lure the same productions to their states by creating increasingly larger incentives for filmmakers. Unfortunately, this results in a race to the bottom of the economic ladder as states give more and more away to filmmakers.
We feel that the state must make some changes in direction to prevent the downward spiral.
First, it must make the incentive process more transparent. Taxpayers need to know exactly where their money is going and what benefits it is reaping. The New Mexico Film Producers Association feels this is crucial to maintaining the viability of the incentive program, and it supports complete transparency in the process.
Second, it is time for the state to support the local filmmaking community, particularly the above-the-line component. For the most part, local producers, filmmakers, screenwriters and actors have watched from the sidelines as the state lavishes attention on out-of-state filmmakers. producers and productions, and focuses on jobs for film crews.
There have been local producers who have benefited from the rebates. But to our knowledge, only one native New Mexican producer has actually qualified for, and received, money from the state to finance a film, while tens of millions have gone to out-of-state producers.
Our goal with the association is to change that. There is no reason the creative community of New Mexico cannot develop, package, produce and distribute movies made in New Mexico.
This is crucial. The movie business is fickle. Hollywood tends to go where it can make its movies easily and cheaply. For right now, that is New Mexico. But who knows in five or 10 years?
After the state has invested tens of millions of dollars, it would be a shame to see empty soundstages and out-of-work crews in a few years because of our lack of foresight. The New Mexico Film Producers Association believes it is imperative to foster the local creative community so there is a bedrock for production here that is not dependent on the whims of Hollywood.
The association also realizes we cannot depend on the state to do our work. The production community in New Mexico must unite, and we believe the association can be the vehicle to do that.
Our broad goals as an association are to advocate on behalf of local producers at the city, county, state and federal levels. We are glad to work with the other groups in the industry, but we also realize they don’t always speak for us and our particular concerns, and it necessary to have an independent voice.
The association also supports training and education for producers, so they have the knowledge and expertise to bring movies from an idea to a finished product. We want to raise the bar so our producers can compete with those from out of state.
We want producers to be well-schooled in the business side of making movies and provide access to the resources, financing, distribution and people needed to make that happen. We want access to the state’s film fund to be a reality for local filmmakers, not an anomaly.
By creating a more expansive view of what the film industry can be here, we increase the potential financial benefits to the state. As legislators and the public see they are funding a home-grown industry, not just a playground for out-of-state productions, we will enlist the support necessary to have a thriving film business.
We ask for your support and participation in this process.

Tito D. Chavez (born June 2, 1974) is a Chicano Film maker. Chavez was born in the South Valley of Albuquerque, NM, the son of an Albuquerque born mother, Crucita, who worked as a custodian for PNM, and Leonardo Chavez of El Cerro NM, a construction worker for Jaynes Corporation. Chavez was the youngest of four children (his siblings are Maria, Paul and Wanda.) Chavez has ancestors and ties all the way back to the four Nation’s Flags that have reigned over New Mexico government. The British, The Spanish, The Mexican, and now the United States of America. Chavez’s ancestors on the Chavez/ Baca side trace back to El Cerro, NM when Spanish Explorers Conquistador-es Coronado and Onate settled the Tiguex Area under Spain’s Royalty King Ferninad and Queen Isabel. Spanish Explorers were in search of Cibola (7 cities of Gold) and the furthest North traveled was Santa Fe, NM. Chavez’s ancestors on the Gonzales/Briones side trace back to Zacatecas, Mexico and the Silver Mines by Spain. Chavez’s Great Grandfather settled in the historic Barelas Neighborhood of Albuquerque and was a candy-maker. The family home still sits in the parking lot of the now called National Hispanic Cultural Center. Chavez’s parents bought a home in the South Valley of Albuquerque where Tito and his siblings were raised. Maria his sister and Husband taught Tito work and family values and that prison for young Chicanos was wrong. The Chavez/Baca family has had 3 generations of siblings in Prison. The Gonzales/Briones family had a sibling who died in the Cumberland Prison Riots on Feburary 2nd and 3rd 1980 in Santa Fe, NM. Tito has 61 cousins on one side and 60 first cousins on the other. Paul his brother taught him the goodness of a man is on how the man raises his children but especially how to build a low rider and look “Chingone” on a whella (Harley-Davidson).. Wanda taught Tito to express himself through Dance. Chavez has 9 nephews no nieces. One in The Marine Corps, One in the Air Force, One APD Officer and one who just graduated High School. Chavez claims he has one nephew who is a thug and thatg i shis favorite nephew. One God Son Fabian Chavez. 3 great nieces and 1 great nephew. Tito has what he considers to be the Best Compadre in the world Jim Wildenstein. Tito Chavez has family in Whittier, California-Las Vegas, Nevada- both El Paso and Dallas, Texas and in Des Moines Iowa. Chavez’s best friends are Alonzo Garcia, Michael Barela and Wesley Donaldson all of Albuquerque. He owes his business ethics and strong work values he learned to his Parents and Horse Owner and Breeder connected to NM Restaurant Association Ruben B. Garcia. In 2008 a state proclamation declared December 23, “Ruben B. Garcia Day”. Garcia Died on 02-10-2010 of a heart attack at the horse race track. Chavez worked for Mr. Garcia in Summers growing up for cash. Mr. Garcia Managed Baca’s Restaurant and is survived by wife of 45 years Lucy Garcia. Chavez loves the Garcia family very much. Chavez grew up playing sports all his life. He played Little League Baseball at Atrisco Valley Little League where he looked up to and loved Little League President for 25 plus years Casper Montoya. He was always an outgoing youngster, although he always got into trouble. Chavez gained work and business ethics through all his loved ones and believes that his success in film is owed to his, “jente”. Chavez began acting in multiple plays and landed himself in a local KOAT TV commercial in 1988 at the age of thirteen. Chavez attended Albuquerque High School in his hometown. Finding it easy to express himself on stage, during a summer school class he had to attend he took the advice of his teacher Mr. Woods and participated in such things as the drama club. At this point in his early career, Chavez developed a cocaine addiction, resulting in him unable to precede with further class productions. Rather than going to college after graduation, Chavez joined the U.S. Marine Corps. After being discharged from the military in 1993, Chavez became a blue-collar worker, drilling water wells in most U.S. Western states. Chavez continued to live a life of drugs and violence. Chavez married had three children (Ciara, Heaven and Tito Jr.) and divorced in 2007 after thirteen years of marriage. Chavez’ cocaine addiction continued to increase to the point where he was in and out of jail and even overdosed, and his family entered him into an Albuquerque rehab clinic. When he successfully completed rehab Chavez returned to his original passion of acting. He enrolled in the Theatre program at Central New Mexico Community College, Chavez will pursue a Masters of English at the University of New Mexico.Chavez has since left his old lifestyle and began to work for several independent film productions being filmed in New Mexico. Chavez strongly wants be an inspiration for all Chicano New Mexicans because he knows with vigilance and dedication anything is possible for for his Chicano Community of New Mexico. Chavez is a keen basketball fan, and especially enjoys the Lobos. He stated that he has, “dedicated his life to Producing Film and to New Mexico Schools and Non-Profits in his home of New Mexico”