Farmington spotlights film industry growth at historic Totah Theater

Inside the 1949 Totah Theater, Farmington is trying to turn film from a civic talking point into an economic bet. Mayor Nate Duckett sat down with Devin Neeley of Film Four Corners for the city’s April 20 Mayor’s Table episode, using the historic downtown venue to frame filmmaking as part of the region’s future, not just a cultural sideline.

The pitch carries real economic stakes for San Juan County. Farmington is linking film production to student showcases, community events, statewide incentives and workforce development, an effort aimed at making media work part of the area’s identity. If the strategy gains traction, the payoff would not be limited to red-carpet publicity. It would mean more paid work for local crew, more spending at restaurants and hotels, and more demand for support services from permitting to catering to transportation.

The Totah Theater is central to that message. The city says the building seats 270 people and is designed as a multi-use performance hall for concerts, film and theater. Farmington acquired the theater in 2021 to expand arts and cultural offerings downtown and to help grow the local film industry, a signal that city leaders see the building as both a venue and a recruiting tool for production work.

That effort is being tied to a broader downtown strategy already in motion. Farmington says its historic downtown became a designated New Mexico Arts and Cultural District in 2018, and Downtown Farmington is now administered by the city’s Economic Development Department and Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Commission in partnership with the New Mexico MainStreet Program. The city also lists the Four Corners Film Festival among downtown events, giving the film push an existing public platform rather than starting from scratch.

State policy makes the local pitch more credible. The New Mexico Film Office says qualifying productions may receive a film production tax credit with a base credit amount of 25% and a maximum credit amount of 40% under updates effective July 1, 2023. The office also markets incentives, crew resources, locations, training and production support, which gives Farmington a statewide system to plug into as it tries to attract work to the Four Corners.

The unanswered question is not whether Farmington can talk about film, but whether it can convert that talk into measurable local activity. Residents should be watching for more than civic branding: production permits, training pathways, repeat downtown spending and actual hires from San Juan County will show whether the film-economy push is becoming an industry or remaining a promotional theme.