As Mexico's film industry explodes with a record-breaking 152 feature films produced in 2022, its dynamic landscape is being reshaped by a surge in regional production, a boom in diverse genres from horror to documentaries, and an impressive box office recovery that underscores its powerful cultural and economic force.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Mexico produced 152 feature films, marking a 15% increase from 132 in 2021
- Between 2018 and 2022, the average annual production of Mexican feature films was 140, with a peak of 179 in 2019
- In 2023, 168 new Mexican films were released theatrically, including 45 debuts by new directors
- Mexican films grossed $1.2 billion USD at the box office in 2022, a 25% recovery from 2021
- "Amores Antiguos" earned 456 million pesos in 2023, top domestic film
- 2022 box office attendance hit 180 million tickets for Mexican films
- Roma won 3 Academy Awards in 2019 including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón
- Mexican films secured 12 Ariel Awards in 2023, with "Totem" winning Best Picture
- From 2010-2023, Mexico won 45 Ariel Awards for Best Film
- Mexico's film industry employed 250,000 people directly in 2022
- 45,000 technicians worked on Mexican films in 2023, up 12%
- Women comprised 28% of directors in 2022 (42 out of 152 films)
- Mexico has 450 active sound stages in 2023
- IMCINE invested 1.2 billion pesos in facilities 2022-2023
- 120 film commissions operating in states as of 2023
Mexico's film industry is growing in production, revenue, and job creation.
Awards
- Roma won 3 Academy Awards in 2019 including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón
- Mexican films secured 12 Ariel Awards in 2023, with "Totem" winning Best Picture
- From 2010-2023, Mexico won 45 Ariel Awards for Best Film
- "Amores Perros" received 8 Ariel Awards in 2001
- Gael García Bernal won 2 Ariel Awards for acting between 2000-2022
- Mexico's entry "The Chambermaid" nominated for Best International Feature Oscar 2020
- 15 Mexican films won Golden Globes nods 2015-2023
- Salma Hayek received Ariel Lifetime Achievement in 2022
- "Roma" won Best Foreign Language Film Golden Globe 2019
- 2023 Guadalajara Festival awarded 7 Mayahuel Awards to intl Mexican talent
- Diego Luna won Ariel for Best Actor in "Mr. Pig" 2017
- Mexico topped Latin America with 23 Goya noms 2010-2023
- "Heli" won Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2013
- 8 Mexican cinematographers won Ariel Awards 2020-2023
- "Tempestad" doc won Ariel Best Doc 2017
- Alfonso Cuarón holds 4 Oscar wins for Mexican-related films
- Morelia Festival gave 11 recognitions to emerging directors 2023
- "I Promise You Anarchy" won Teddy Award Berlin 2016
- 2022 Ariel saw 5 wins for animation films
- Yalitza Aparicio Ariel nom for Roma 2019 debut
- Mexico's "Prayers for the Stolen" Oscar shortlist 2022
- 12 Diosa de Plata awards to top Mexican films yearly avg 2015-2023
- "The Dance of the 41" 9 Ariel Awards 2021
- Guadalajara Intl Film Fest awarded 22 audience prizes 2022
- "We Are All Stars" won Best Film Guanajuato Fest 2023
- 6 Mexican films Palme d'Or noms Cannes 2000-2023
- Ariel Best Screenplay avg 4 wins/year for women 2020-2023
- "Temporada de Caza" Best Actress Ariel 2023 to Tessa Ia
- Mexico 17 wins at LA Film Critics 2010-2023
- "Son of Monarchs" Berlinale Encounters win 2021
- 2023 Ariel animation category had 3 winners
- "La Region Salvaje" Venice Orizzonti 2016
Awards Interpretation
While Mexico's film industry has long been a powerhouse of raw talent and critical acclaim—from the explosive impact of "Amores Perros" to the poetic triumph of "Roma"—these statistics collectively reveal a national cinema that has matured from a celebrated newcomer into a consistent, formidable, and artistically daring force on the world stage.
Box Office
- Mexican films grossed $1.2 billion USD at the box office in 2022, a 25% recovery from 2021
- "Amores Antiguos" earned 456 million pesos in 2023, top domestic film
- 2022 box office attendance hit 180 million tickets for Mexican films
- "Radical" (2023) sold 3.2 million tickets domestically
- From 2019-2023, average Mexican film ticket sales were 1.1 million per top 10
- Streaming revenue for Mexican films reached $450 million in 2022 via Netflix
- "Belzebuth" (2019) grossed $8.5 million USD internationally
- 2023 saw $750 million pesos from regional releases outside Mexico City
- "Noise" (2023) achieved 1.8 million viewers on Prime Video Mexico
- Top 20 Mexican films in 2022 averaged $25 million pesos each
- "Dark Tourist" remake earned 120 million pesos in 2021
- 2020 pandemic box office for Mexican films dropped to $300 million, 70% decline
- "Total Denial" (2023) sold 950,000 tickets in first month
- International box office for "Roma" (2018) exceeded $15 million outside Mexico
- 2022 Norteño region contributed 15% of national box office ($180M pesos)
- "The Inhabitant" (2017) grossed $4.2 million USD globally
- Average ticket price for Mexican films in 2023 was 85 pesos, up 8%
- "Saturn Return" (2023) earned 200 million pesos
- 2021 hybrid releases boosted revenue by 40% for 12 Mexican films
- "Monstruosamente Solo" sequel grossed 89 million pesos in 2022
- Border cities like Tijuana saw 2.5 million admissions in 2023
- "La Usurpadora" film earned $10 million streaming in 2023
- 2019 pre-pandemic peak: Mexican films 28% market share, $1.5B pesos
- "Everyone Knows" co-prod grossed 65 million pesos domestically
- 2023 IMAX screenings for 5 Mexican films added 12% revenue boost
- "The Motive" (2023) 1.4 million tickets
- Southeast Mexico box office up 18% to 120M pesos in 2022
- "Y Tu Mamá También" re-release earned 15M pesos in 2021
Box Office Interpretation
Despite the pandemic's ghost still haunting the aisles, the Mexican film industry is writing a spirited comeback story, one where streaming royalties cozy up to box office pesos and regional audiences prove there’s serious life—and lucrative drama—far beyond the capital’s spotlight.
Employment
- Mexico's film industry employed 250,000 people directly in 2022
- 45,000 technicians worked on Mexican films in 2023, up 12%
- Women comprised 28% of directors in 2022 (42 out of 152 films)
- 12,500 actors registered with ANDA in 2023
- Post-production jobs grew 35% to 8,200 in 2022
- 2023 saw 3,500 new film graduates from Mexican universities
- Baja California film crews averaged 450 per major production in 2022
- 65% of cinematographers are Mexico City-based (2,100 pros)
- Indigenous talent employed in 22 films 2023 (1,200 roles)
- VFX artists numbered 4,500 in 2022, 40% freelance
- 2021 unionized grips: 1,800 across 15 states
- Women in production roles reached 32% in 2023 (18,000)
- Guanajuato employed 2,200 locals on 14 films 2023
- Screenwriters guild has 1,200 members, 150 active 2022
- 9,000 extras hired yearly avg 2020-2023
- Animation studios employed 2,800 in 2023
- 2022 sound engineers: 1,100 certified
- Yucatán film jobs: 900 in 2023 tourism tie-ins
- 55% of editors freelance (3,400 total) 2022
- Oaxaca local hires for 15 films: 650 in 2022
- Costume designers: 850 pros, 200 new in 2023
- 2023 makeup artists peaked at 1,500 jobs
- Querétaro VFX hub employed 1,200 in 2023
- Production assistants: 15,000 yearly turnover 2022
- 28% youth under 30 in crews (45,000 total) 2023
- Location managers: 650 across Mexico 2022
- Stunt performers guild: 900 members 2023
Employment Interpretation
Mexico's film industry is a vibrant, sprawling engine of employment where technical crews are booming, women are steadily directing more stories, and every corner of the nation—from freelance VFX artists to unionized grips and local hires in Oaxaca—contributes to a picture that’s still developing but undeniably coming into sharper, more inclusive focus.
Infrastructure
- Mexico has 450 active sound stages in 2023
- IMCINE invested 1.2 billion pesos in facilities 2022-2023
- 120 film commissions operating in states as of 2023
- Churubusco Studios expanded to 42 stages in 2022
- 2023 fiber optic coverage for remote shoots reached 85% states
- 65 post-production houses in Mexico City alone 2023
- Baja California has 25 sound stages for US proximity
- 2022 saw 15 new digital labs built
- Guadalajara hosts 12 green screen studios 2023
- National film archive digitized 5,000 titles by 2023
- 180 cinema screens added in 2023, total 6,200
- Yucatán invested 200M pesos in backlots 2022
- 40 VFX rendering farms operational 2023
- Mexico City Film Fund built 8 warehouses 2021-2023
- 2023 drone filming permits issued for 89 productions
- Oaxaca eco-friendly sets: 20 built 2023
- 75 4K projection rooms in festivals 2023
- Guanajuato restored 5 historical theaters for screenings 2022
- National 5G rollout aided 45 remote shoots 2023
- 30 underwater filming tanks available 2023
- Querétaro tech park hosts 10 editing suites 2023
- 2022 solar-powered generators for 120 indie films
- Puebla added 15 mobile units for rural shoots 2023
- Total investment in incentives reached 5 billion pesos 2023
- 2023 Guadalajara expo showcased 50 new cameras
- Chiapas jungle rigs for 12 films built 2022
- 110 Dolby Atmos theaters nationwide 2023
- Veracruz port facilities upgraded for sea shoots 2023
- 25 VR production studios emerged 2022-2023
- Morelos added 8 helipads for aerials 2023
- 2023 national grid powered 200 sets sustainably
Infrastructure Interpretation
Mexico's film industry is now loudly and proudly yelling "¡Luz, cámara, acción económica!" as evidenced by its 450 sound stages, billions in targeted investments, and a sprawling, tech-savvy network from Baja's backlots to Oaxaca's eco-sets.
Production
- In 2022, Mexico produced 152 feature films, marking a 15% increase from 132 in 2021
- Between 2018 and 2022, the average annual production of Mexican feature films was 140, with a peak of 179 in 2019
- In 2023, 168 new Mexican films were released theatrically, including 45 debuts by new directors
- Guadalajara produced 22 independent films in 2022, representing 14.5% of national indie output
- From 2015-2020, Mexico's animation film production grew by 28%, reaching 15 animated features in 2020
- In 2021, 67 Mexican films were co-produced internationally, mainly with Spain and the US
- Mexico City hosted the production of 89 films in 2022, accounting for 58% of national total
- Documentary production in Mexico rose to 42 films in 2023, up 22% from 2022
- In 2020, despite pandemic, 112 Mexican shorts were produced with IMCINE funding
- Baja California produced 18 films in 2022 via its film commission, focusing on action genres
- 2022 saw 25 Mexican horror films produced, a genre record high
- Chiapas state debuted 12 eco-themed films in 2023 through local incentives
- In 2019, Mexico produced 34 children's films, supported by 45 million pesos in grants
- Yucatán produced 9 Mayan-language films from 2020-2023
- 2023 experimental film output reached 28 titles, funded by FONCA
- Oaxaca saw 15 indigenous community films in 2022
- In 2021, 19 sci-fi films were greenlit in Mexico, a 50% genre increase
- Veracruz produced 11 historical dramas in 2023
- 2022 rom-com production hit 31 films, led by streaming platforms
- Guanajuato funded 14 films via its festival in 2023
- In 2020, 8 biopics were produced about Mexican icons
- Morelos state reached 10 thriller productions in 2022
- 2023 saw 16 musical films, reviving the genre post-COVID
- Puebla produced 13 comedies in 2021
- In 2019, 20 adventure films shot in national parks
- Querétaro debuted 11 fantasy films in 2023
- 2022 western genre saw 9 films, blending with narco themes
- San Luis Potosí produced 12 dramas in 2023
- In 2021, 15 social issue films funded by IMCINE
- 2023 mystery genre reached 17 productions
Production Interpretation
Mexico's film industry is blooming with a staggering variety, from Guadalajara's independent spirit to Yucatán's Mayan-language cinema, proving it’s not just making more movies but boldly exploring every genre and corner of the country with creative gusto.
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