Hollywood star Salma Hayek has joined Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to launch a major new cinema incentive in Mexico.
The announcement took place in Mexico City, where Hayek stood alongside Sheinbaum to unveil a 30% income tax incentive aimed at boosting film and TV production in the country.
Hayek, who began her career in Mexican telenovelas before breaking into Hollywood, said she owes her success to Mexico’s film community. She called the new initiative a “historic moment” and praised the country’s creative talent.
The 30% tax incentive will apply to projects filmed in Mexico. There is a maximum cap of 40 million pesos (around $2.3 million) per project. To qualify, at least 70% of suppliers must be domestic.
The plan covers feature films, series, documentaries, animation, visual effects, and post-production. Fiction and animated projects must spend at least 40 million pesos in Mexico. Documentaries need 20 million pesos, while animation or VFX processes require at least 5 million pesos.
Mexico’s Culture Minister said the goal is to attract big international productions while keeping national projects at home. The move aims to strengthen Mexico’s creative economy and protect its cultural identity.
Hayek said Mexico has a “world-class” film industry and hopes the incentive will shine a brighter spotlight on its artists and technicians. She ended her speech with a proud “Viva México.”
