Film activity picking up in Cibola County

CIBOLA COUNTY - This area has been featured in films since as early as 1903, and that local film activity has been increasing in recent years. Some of the most prominent films that have been shot in or featured the area are Grapes of Wrath (Laguna, 1940); Ace in the Hole (Laguna, 1951); 21 Grams (Grants, 2003); Mac-Gruber (To’hajillee, 2009); We’re The Millers (Laguna, 2012); The Last Stand (Laguna, 2013); The Glass Castle (To’hajillee, Laguna, 2016); and The Gift of Christmas (Grants, 2019).

Marketing director and film liaison Chris Roybal represents Cibola County when it comes to the film activity in the area, and she also works very closely with the local film office. Recent film activity in Cibola County has consisted of movies, independent films, and commercials, reported the film liaison. Roybal also reported that Cibola County is currently in the running for a TV show series. Roybal could not expand on the details of the series since the selection process is still ongoing, but she did say that herself and the city were very excited about it.

When asked what it is specifically about this area that draws filmmakers here, Roybal said confidently, “Our landscape. Our landscape is absolutely wonderful.”

According to Roybal, the film activity in Cibola County was very lively at one point, but it eventually died down over the years. “I think a lot of that was because it wasn’t being fostered, you know, and people weren’t being reminded we were here. And our film office has done such wonderful, wonderful exposure, you know, giving us exposure, which has really helped,” explained Roybal.

Part of Roybal’s job is to help with that exposure by promoting certain locations that she believes might fit well with a particular story. Roybal is often sent emails of storyboards for films, and she will then use her knowledge of the area and film to suggest those settings to the location scouts for the films. The process starts off with Roybal taking pictures of different locations all around the area. Then, if the pictures spark any interest, more and more of the production crew for the film will begin to make their way here to see the scenery for themselves. This happens over a series of visits and then they make final decisions about whether it is the right fit for the film.

Added benefits of this film activity and exposure are that “it brings money to our area, which is nice,” said Roybal. “It helps our economy because those people are buying food, they’re staying in our hotels, they’re buying props, they’re buying tires, you know, they may need a doctor or a dentist, they may want to lease your car and use it. So, it can literally bring a lot of business growth through our area. It brings in tourism, which is fantastic.” Roybal also added how much of an asset the film industry has been for the state of New Mexico as well, bringing in millions of dollars yearly.

Locals can get in on the activity by visiting either the City of Grants, Village of Milan, or Cibola County website, and going directly to film liaison Roybal’s page, where they can get information on how to be involved. Some of the different ways that locals could get involved is by registering their property as “film-friendly” with the site. Businesses ranging from a dentist’s office to restaurants, bed and breakfasts, clothing stores, secondhand stores, et cetera. According to Roybal, she even visited Roberta’s Place on 807 Roosevelt Avenue recently to purchase props for an independent film done locally. Local filmmakers themselves can also register with the site, and people interested in being in films could stay updated with the New Mexico Film Office crew calls at www.nmfilm.com.

“This is a huge economic base for our state and our area,” affirmed Roybal, who is looking forward to the role that the film industry continues to play in Cibola County.