Santa Fe once again called best small city to live and work as a filmmaker

Jan. 18—Santa Fe and Albuquerque are the top U.S. cities where filmmakers can live and work, MovieMaker magazine declared Thursday.

Santa Fe, for the second year running, was ranked No. 1 in the small city category (population under 300,000) in the magazine's annual list of Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker. The city has ranked in the top five since 2015.

Albuquerque ranks No. 2, behind Canada's Toronto, in the magazine's big city category. It had ranked No. 1 four years straight (2019-22) and has been listed among the top 10 or top 25 since 2007.

Ashley Valdez, a Santa Fe native and Santa Fe High School graduate, and her husband, Chris Stevens, might agree with the rankings. The couple live in Santa Fe and work in the film industry here and in Albuquerque. They shuttled between film gigs in Santa Fe and Los Angeles, Stevens' hometown, from 2013 to 2018.

"My husband prefers it out here," said Valdez, a location manager. "We are just so blessed to have the film industry here."

Valdez went to music school in L.A. and got into the film business in 2008.

"You don't have to fight traffic in Santa Fe," she said.

Santa Fe firmed up its first-place spot as the best small town for moviemakers with the opening of Aspect Studios in the past year in the former Shellaberger Tennis Center. Aspect owner Phillip Gesue is angling to merge with neighboring Garson Studios.

"After a year of upheaval in the film world, one thing remains steady: We haven't found another place with so many film opportunities per capita," MovieMaker says about Santa Fe. "As an added bonus, Santa Fe is one of the loveliest places on the planet."

"What really sets Santa Fe apart is the natural beauty coupled with opportunity," MovieMaker magazine editor Tim Molloy said in an interview. "The fact that you have access to Los Angeles and Colorado are huge pluses. It's a really stupendous film town."

"People are really noticing Santa Fe as a desirous filming destination," Santa Fe Film Commissioner Jennifer LaBar-Tapia said.

Positions in the industry are "well-paying jobs," she added. "You can afford to live here."

The rankings come as the blockbuster Oppenheimer, filmed in part in Santa Fe, is sweeping the early movie awards season. The movie was in production in Los Alamos, Abiquiú and Santa Fe — including scenes shot on Sky Railway — in March 2022.

MovieMaker magazine says of Albuquerque, "One of the most culturally rich cities in the country, it anchors a growing New Mexico film scene that also includes nearby Santa Fe and Las Cruces."

Las Cruces returns to the top 10 small city list at No. 8 after making its first appearance last year at No. 7.

New Mexico is one of only three states — alongside Texas and Florida — to have at least three entries.

"This is a momentous occasion for New Mexico's film industry," Amber Dodson, director of the New Mexico Film Office, said in a statement. "To have all three of our major cities recognized by MovieMaker for the second consecutive year is a testament to our state's collaborative efforts to create a diverse, relevant, and undisputed filmmaking hub of the future."

The MovieMaker rankings do not include Los Angeles and New York City, which have been in their own Hall of Fame category since 2019.

Along with Aspect Studios, the burgeoning film industry in the Santa Fe area includes soundstages at Santa Fe Studios, Garson Studios and Camel Rock Studios, and a half-dozen film ranches.

About 200 members of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 480 live in the city. The Santa Fe Film Festival and Santa Fe International Film Festival are staged here, and the Santa Fe Film Institute is housed here.

Netflix and NBCUniversal have a major presence in Albuquerque.

The Panethos blog ranks Albuquerque and Santa Fe together at No. 7 in their number of soundstages behind Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Atlanta, Toronto and Chicago.

"The industry keeps growing [in Santa Fe] but not growing so much to ruin the good things about Santa Fe," said Molloy, who visited Santa Fe for the first time in June 2022. "Santa Fe has a lot of energy, vigor and room to grow. There is a lot of creativity for people to grow from."

By some accounts, New Mexico is now regarded in the same league as Georgia and British Columbia when it comes to top film production centers beyond L.A. and New York.

"I would definitely say so," Molloy said.

He added, "What would I tell a friend [in the film industry] who wants to move? I wouldn't have a moment's hesitation in suggesting they move to Santa Fe."