Netflix and Jalisco are committed to a stronger and more diverse audiovisual industry with Jalisco Lab.

With a strategic alliance that seeks to position the state as a Latin American film capital, Jalisco Lab officially launched this Saturday. This audiovisual training program promoted by Netflix and the Jalisco Film Commission (Filma), with the support of various public institutions such as Ciudad Creativa Digital, PLAi, and the state Tourism Secretariat.

The program kicked off with a formal ceremony and the first masterclass, titled "Production Basics," taught by renowned experts such as Carlos Taibo, Walter Navas, and Roberto Fiesco. For Alejandro Tavares, director of Filma Jalisco , this is an unprecedented moment for the local industry.

"We're very excited; it's historic. This has only happened in Mexico City and Jalisco as Netflix's first headquarters," he said.

Tavares emphasized that the goal is to consolidate a robust film ecosystem that allows for multiple productions to be handled simultaneously, without compromising quality or technical talent. "We want to ensure that when productions from abroad come, there's enough crew to handle several simultaneously. Right now, many productions are coming to Jalisco, but we don't have enough crew yet," he acknowledged.

For this reason, Jalisco Lab not only focuses on directors, photographers, and producers, but also emphasizes training key professionals at the base of the filmmaking pyramid, such as gaffers, stagehands, and production technicians. Alejandro announced that he is already in talks with Pierre Vandoorne, Senior Director of Public Policy at Netflix for Latin America, with the intention of expanding this collaboration in 2026 to include ongoing, specialized training in various areas of the sector.

Regarding the investment, although an exact amount was not specified, Tavares estimated that Netflix's participation is around three million pesos. "We as a government are making the same investment as everyone else, but for us it's a completely virtuous alliance," he expressed.

Within the program, she highlighted the film adaptation workshop for women writers, focused on creators with already advanced projects. "It's an elite workshop, where they must already have the rights to the work they're adapting," she explained. She also mentioned the production coordination and online production courses as priorities, essential for raising the technical level of local teams.

"When you learn to coordinate production, it helps you with any team: wardrobe, makeup, technical department. You advance a lot in your filmmaking expertise," he said.

For his part, Pierre Vandoorne reiterated Netflix's commitment to inclusion and the professional development of talent in the region. "At Netflix, we truly believe in the importance of building a more diverse and inclusive industry. And we also believe that professionalization is a driving force for the cultural and economic development of states," he stated in a video.

Alfredo Aceves , head of the Digital Creative City Trust, also participated in the launch and highlighted the role this infrastructure will play in the new phase of audiovisual promotion.

"It's not possible that even today, after a very significant effort to invest in these buildings, there are still so many creative women and men who don't know about the Digital Creative City," he said.

Aceves announced the construction of a new 11,000-square-meter building to house companies in the creative sector, as well as the renovation of a historic mansion that will serve as an innovation hub. This latter space will house 15 companies, primarily in animation and artificial intelligence, which have already signed up.

From PLAi, director Carlos Bañuelos celebrated the fact that some of Jalisco Lab's content will be documented and adapted for free distribution on the state educational platform.

"We're going to be able to compile some of this content so we can later democratize access to it," he stated. He added that PLAi offers more than 50 free courses on topics such as innovation, Industry 4.0, and audiovisual production.

The event also served as a prelude to discussing the upcoming Ariel Awards, which will be held on September 20 in Puerto Vallarta. Alejandro Tavares stated that work is underway to make them "the most spectacular ever," not only for their cultural value but also for the impact they will have on the destination's projection as a film hub.

"Puerto Vallarta also has an interesting historical opportunity right now. It has air connections to Europe, Canada, South America, and all of Mexico. It's becoming very attractive for filming there," he noted.

Tavares emphasized the quality of Jalisco cinema represented in this year's nominations. He celebrated Úrzula Barba's debut with Corina, her first film as a director, and praised works such as Carlos Rueda's animated short film The Highway of Dogs, which addresses animal abuse and has already been recognized at festivals.

"Filmmakers are very restless; they have new ideas, and all we as a government have to do is channel them. We're going to have great results," he concluded.

The logistics of the Ariel Awards are being coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism, Filma Jalisco, and the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences. The choice of Puerto Vallarta reflects the event's traveling nature and its growing potential as a film destination.

YC