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Secuoya, Micelio launch Mexican audiovisual hub Guadalajara Content City

L-R: Jorge Eduardo Riggen, director of Filma en Jalisco; Mexican filmmaker Patricia Riggen; Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez; and Xavier Orendáin de Obeso, director of the economic cabinet of the state of Jalisco

CONTENT AMERICAS: Grupo Roots, sister company of Spain’s Grupo Secuoya and the promoter of Madrid Content City, unveiled a new audiovisual hub for Mexico here at Content Americas yesterday.

Guadalajara Content City is being launched via Micelio Media Group, a joint venture from Mexican prodco BTF and Secuoya that was announced in 2021.

Occupying more than 60,000 square metres, the development will include four sets, a backlot, four warehouses serving the studios, a post-production centre, offices and a university for 2,000 students.

Raúl Berdonés, president of Grupo Roots and Grupo Secuoya, said: “We want to take the success of Madrid Content City to other territories and consolidate ourselves as one of the largest audiovisual studio platforms in the world.

“Grupo Roots, through Micelio Media Group, projects Guadalajara Content City as a unique model that combines industry, talent and training, a benchmark not only in Spain but also unique in Europe.”

Madrid Content City launched in 2018 with an investment of more than €200m (US$217m) in its first three phases to create 140,000 square metres of facilities. Its fourth phase, beginning this year, will add another 100,000 square metres.

The news coincides with the launch of the Filma Jalisco program at Content Americas yesterday, which includes tax incentives and cash rebates designed to attract film and TV productions. Jalisco, whose capital is Guadalajara, the second most populous city in Mexico, will be the first Mexican state to offer this type of incentive.

Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez said: “It is a comprehensive policy that follows the reform of the Jalisco filming law that makes our state the one with the most advanced legislation in all of Mexico.”

The Filma Jalisco initiative will be worth US$13.25m at launch. The annual fund can be expanded if it runs out. At least US$5m will go to the cash rebate and US$3m to tax incentives, Alfaro said.

The level of the rebate has yet to be finalised but it could amount to between 25% and 30% of local taxes. Federal taxes, which depend on the central government, are not included for now, “but we are looking for formulas to be able to include them,” Alfaro said.

The state governor added that the initiative means filming costs in Jalisco will be 20% cheaper than in Mexico City and 50% cheaper than in Los Angeles.

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