LAS VEGAS, N.M. — This city in the foothills of the Rockies has scenery more diverse than most Hollywood back lots: A 19th century castle, a Spanish colonial plaza and miles of prairie and mountains.
That landscape -- along with New Mexico's generous film incentives -- has lured more than a dozen movie productions here in the last decade.
The filming has brought in a surge of money, but it has also brought tension. Store owners in Las Vegas, complaining that filming hurts their businesses, have clashed with film supporters, even calling for a moratorium on all productions.
As more and more movie production leaves California, sensible small towns across the country are getting a taste of Hollywood glitz -- and it isn't always sweet.
"They act like they own the town," said Bob Korte, the owner of Korte's Furniture and Bicycles, who helped lead the effort in Las Vegas.
Other towns in New Mexico have moved to control filming, including Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, which banned production after neighbors complained about disruption when several television shows filmed there.
Though filming has brought good money to the state, even some supporters, including Adelita Lujan, who runs Estella's Cafe in Las Vegas, acknowledge that getting used to the ways of Hollywood is not easy.
"It's better than a massive factory coming in and polluting our place," she said. But she added: "There's not a lot of lavish people here. . . . If you're not from here you stand out."
Television and film productions are migrating at a record pace to the 40 U.S. states that offer film incentives, typically in the form of tax rebates, according to Paul Audley of FilmL.A.
New Mexico, which has been particularly aggressive in courting Hollywood, has become one of the top filming destinations in the country by offering filmmakers a 25% refund on all in-state production costs and interest-free loans of up to $15 million.
More than 150 film and television projects have taken advantage of the incentives since they were introduced in 2002.
The state film commission estimates that the movie industry has generated $2.1 billion for New Mexico's economy.
No small city in the state has seen more film action than Las Vegas, which has hosted such movies as "No Country for Old Men," "North Country," "The Longest Yard" and "Wild Hogs."
