Jonathon Sepp is film contact for film Las Cruces. In five years he has seen the film industry explode. (Courtesy of Movie Las Cruces)
In February, Jonathon Sepp will break the five-year mark at Film Las Cruces.
In that time he has seen Las Cruces grow from a hidden gem to a full fledged hotspot.
“We’re no longer the hidden gem,” he says boldly. “I haven’t had too much time to think about all the work we’ve done. It was a lot and that’s what I envisioned for my hometown.”
Sepp is film contact for film Las Cruces. The organization has film contracts for the City of Las Cruces and the County of Doña Ana.
“We are there for them during the planning of the productions and make sure that they gain a foothold on site and coordinate them with the providers,” says Sepp. “It’s one of the areas I appreciate about the job. I’m on the floor with everyone else. I match some of our customers with our local businesses that are a good fit.”
Sepp is often constantly running around in southern New Mexico.
During Christmas week he had a production for a location scout.
“We made sure to give our attention to the production and the arrangement,” he says. “Then it was a short vacation for a week.”
There wasn’t too much downtime for Sepp and the people at Film Las Cruces.
From July through December there have already been 16 projects in the Las Cruces area with direct expenditures of US$3.6 million to the local economy.
Direct spend has set a record, far surpassing direct spend of $2.6 million in fiscal 2019.
“Half a year to go,” says Sepp excitedly. “Right now there are two different productions in different stages of pre-production.”
During the fall, the Las Cruces neighborhood was the setting for four productions – “The Locksmith”, “Hot Seat”, “Knight” and “Chupa”.
Seeing interest in Las Cruces grow makes Sepp smile.
“More and more things are happening,” he says. “People grab it. There are companies that want to participate in productions. We have Las Crucens calling us and allowing us to use their property as a base camp. We are here to help on those occasions.”
Sepp also works with the Film Las Cruces board of directors to keep the office funded.
“Our film office is a bit different when it comes to how we approach productions,” he says. “Of course we help with permits. We also help with location scouts. We hired another full-time film contact. So now I don’t have to feel exhausted to do anything.”
Sepp has always loved the film and television industry.
It’s now an integral part of it.
“This world is for me,” he says. “It’s really exciting to be in my hometown. We’re already training some incredibly talented filmmakers. Las Cruces played a big part in developing my love for film and television. I attended Las Cruces High School, NMSU (New Mexico State University) and DACC (Doña Ana Community College). In high school my interest was in my radio class. Now we are creating the infrastructure for the success of all New Mexicans. It’s an exciting time.”
SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of, or are curious about, a film made in the state, email [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.
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