Jalisco: The New Filmmaking Hub Powered by Celebrity Tequila

Demand for film production in Jalisco is surging, driven by the powerful tequila brands launched by figures including Elon Musk, George Clooney, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kendall Jenner of the Kardashian family. In an interview with Forbes México, Hugo Pulido, CEO of Grupo KP, asserts that “every major Hollywood star has a tequila” — and that many of them prefer to shoot their campaigns in the state, drawn by its iconic landscapes of agave fields and tahona mills.

Pulido notes that Hollywood celebrities choose Jalisco not only for the quality of its tequila but for access to a robust filmmaking infrastructure. Upon arriving in Guadalajara, these stars seek out a single partner capable of delivering everything a production requires — and they find it in Grupo KP. “We have filmed every commercial for George Clooney, the Kardashians, The Rock, and even Tesla,” the executive says, underscoring the significance of having opened the Tequila Films studios, which deliver premium services at competitive rates.

Government Support Accelerates Jalisco’s Film Industry

The expansion of Jalisco’s film industry has been matched by meaningful support from the state government under Pablo Lemus. “I don’t want to miss this moment — I’ve been making films for thirty years and nothing like this has ever come along,” Pulido says, emphasizing the powerful convergence of tequila and celebrity that has made Jalisco a compelling destination for shooting commercials, films, and series. With a $7 million investment to equip its studios with cutting-edge technology, the company is positioning itself as Mexico’s preeminent film production hub.

In recent years, Jalisco has seen more than 100 film projects take shape, generating an economic impact of 3 billion pesos. The appetite among Jalisco’s business community to finance productions has translated into several series currently in development — among them projects that showcase the region’s extraordinary cultural and gastronomic heritage. “There are many people and young filmmakers actively seeking sponsors for films, documentaries, and series,” Pulido notes, revealing plans to produce ten films in the region.

With tequila and Hollywood talent converging on a single destination, Jalisco is positioned to cement its standing as a world-class center of film production. The alignment of celebrities promoting their own tequila brands while simultaneously generating premium visual content reinforces a compelling thesis: the film industry and the tequila industry are now inextricably linked. The future promises an even more significant expansion of this relationship — and an increasingly inevitable role for Jalisco in prestige film production on the global stage.