Mexico. The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, announced a comprehensive plan to support national cinema: from training, production, exhibition and preservation, as well as a new tax incentive of 30 percent of the Income Tax (ISR) to projects that are carried out in national territory.
"This incentive has a government commission that really seeks to support, to develop those productions that otherwise might not have the opportunity. And at the same time, attract international productions, but guaranteeing that Mexicans are hired in all trades that have to do with cinematography, from actresses, actors, but also all trades related to cinema. That we guarantee that an international production does not really arrive with everything and leave, but that all this talent that we have in Mexico is developed here," he said.
The Oscar-nominated actress, producer and Mexican director, Salma Hayek Pinault, recognized the President's vision to support Mexican cinema and thereby generate pride in Mexico through authentic and real narratives.
In addition, he pointed out that these incentives promote tourism and generate an economic, artistic, gastronomic and cultural injection. "From this support we have no comparison, there is no country in the world that has ecological diversity, beauty, here there is everything. There is no other country that has what we have," he said.
The Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, explained that the incentive is equivalent to up to 30 percent of the ISR of the expenditure of the project carried out in national territory and has a maximum limit of 40 million pesos (mdp) per project or process and whose requirement is that the projects must have at least 70 percent of national supply. to attract international productions of high productive value and, at the same time, encourage national productions to remain in Mexico, thus strengthening the country's creative economy, cultural sovereignty and the diversity of stories that are produced from Mexican territory.
He explained that the incentive will be accessible to Mexican individuals and corporations, foreigners with a permanent establishment in the country, and foreigners without a permanent establishment in national territory who carry out the production through a natural or legal person resident in Mexico. In addition, fiction or animated feature films and series chapters with a minimum verifiable expenditure of 40 million pesos may participate; feature films and documentary series with a minimum expenditure of 20 million pesos; as well as specific animation, visual effects or post-production processes with a minimum expenditure of 5 million pesos per process.
The film producer, Inna Payán, stressed that this February 15 is an important day for national cinematography, since the incentive gives a platform to strengthen production in Mexico, stimulates national and foreign private investment with a multiplier effect by generating between three and nine units of aggregate economic activity, generates jobs and boosts infrastructure.
The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Culture, has promoted a comprehensive public policy to strengthen the sector: in the first year of government, the Fiscal Stimulus for Investment Projects in Film Production and Distribution (EFICINE) was increased by 18 percent; the Cinematographic Training Center (CCC) was strengthened with new equipment and registration fees were eliminated.
In addition, this year the CCC Chapultepec opened and with it the enrollment and training in cinematographic trades increases, with a capacity of close to 2 thousand students. Likewise, the 2026 budget of the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) grew 25 percent and last Friday the initiative for the new Federal Film and Audiovisual Law was presented.
