According to Koeppe, the state film office, which is a division of the state's Economic Development Department, has been slow to embrace Focus. She also believes the state should work more closely with counties and municipalities to streamline the permitting process and pave the way for filmmakers to work easily and efficiently in New Mexico. The state needs to educate businesses, she added. Local businesses should be discouraged from price gouging when a film crew arrives in town. She also noted that the regulations prohibiting any official from spending state money to entertain a visitor tend to discourage hospitality toward location scouts or directors.
People have to remember that when a production company comes to the state, it benefits everyone.
Under the current regulations, a film production unit can participate in the non-taxable certificate program. Under this program, the film company is not charged the state's six percent gross receipts tax for any item purchased here that is directly related to making the film. There are too many barriers in the way and it just makes things too difficult. Some believe the state could be doing much more to get film projects launched here. Richard Peck, former University of New Mexico president and now president of Enchantment Pictures, Inc., pointed to a proposal under discussion in the Texas Legislature that would create a pool of money for production companies to get started on independent films.