“Lights, camera, action” to revive Tucson’s movie industry

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TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) – A comeback story is great plot for a movie. Now the developing district in downtown Rio Nuevo is working on a comeback for Tucson’s film industry.

Trail Dust Town was built as a television and movie setback when cowboy shows ruled the airwaves. It reminds us of the days when television and movie production was big business in the Tucson area. Now the downtown development agency and a tourism development agency are working to bring this kind of business back.

Tucson was ideal for a long line of westerns, but other types of films were shot here as well. Lately, even if the story is about Arizona, much of that film work has been relocated to places like New Mexico.

Tax incentives in New Mexico are a big reason for this. Now the developing district in downtown Rio Nuevo is saying a TV show about food is to be shot in Tucson, and a regular TV series is also talking about doing a show in Tucson.

Arizona doesn’t offer tax incentives like New Mexico does, but Rio Nuevo can offer cash incentives. A tourism advocate, Visit Tucson is also working to attract television and film productions.

Rio Nuevo’s chairman Fletcher McCusker says TV companies see Tucson as a good place to produce their shows – and Rio Nuevo’s incentives to seal the deal can bring an amortization that puts more money into it Letting the local economy flow.

“Of course our focus is on the city center, and we would like you to support this economically. You have to show us that you use our hotels or our restaurants or shoot in the city center. So that we can provide funds. “

Rio Nuevo gave half a million dollars to recruit more television and film productions.

Matt Welch is an actor who has appeared in many films made in Tucson. He is working to create a museum dedicated to the past and future of Tucson’s film production.

Welch says Hollywood is a small world and when one company decides Tucson is a good place to work, others will bring their business here.

“If we can show producers and directors something new that Tucson and Southern Arizona are capable of, it will pique interest in anything, be it a commercial, television show, or even a promotional photo shoot. That arouses interest in this region. “

The Rio Nuevo chairman hopes that a track record of successful productions in Tucson could convince state lawmakers to offer film companies state tax incentives that will take the Arizona film business to other states.

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