BallantinesPR

New Mexico Airlines Expands Air Service to include
Ruidoso, Midland/Odessa, El Paso

New Mexico Airlines, a subsidiary of Pacific Wings, offers daily air service into Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, located 15 miles northwest of Ruidoso, from Midland/Odessa, Albuquerque and other southern New Mexico cities, beginning today (February 11, 2008). Ruidoso flights to and from El Paso are set to begin March 1, 2008.

New Mexico Airlines, a subsidiary of Pacific Wings, offers daily air service into Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, located 15 miles northwest of Ruidoso, from Midland/Odessa, Albuquerque and other southern New Mexico cities, beginning today (February 11, 2008). Ruidoso flights to and from El Paso are set to begin March 1, 2008.

These new flights join New Mexico Airlines’ current offerings of daily air service among Albuquerque, Hobbs, Carlsbad and Alamogordo; and also beginning today, daily air service between those cities and Midland/Odessa and El Paso, Texas, in addition to Ruidoso.

“We’re very lucky that this service now includes Ruidoso as a destination as well as a stop for those traveling to other areas,” said Steve Tally, Ruidoso’s Director of Tourism.

Flight schedules range from mid- to late-morning and early- to mid-afternoon for convenience and flexibility. Passengers flying to and from Midland will also benefit from non-stop service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Talley said flights will be around $200 round trip and can be booked via www.newmexicoairlines.com or by calling 1-888-564-6119.

“The Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce wants to help promote the convenience and proximity of the service to both business and consumer travelers,” said Brad Treptow, Executive Director for the Chamber. ”This area is positioned to benefit significantly throughout the entire year based on the variety of attractions, activities, and events offered.”

Pacific Wings CEO Greg Kahlstorf agreed. “Ruidoso is a year-round destination. We’re happy to bring people together in serving Ruidoso with air service throughout the year. Our business model in New Mexico allows us to serve rural and remote communities in a cost effective and affordable manner.”

Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department, welcomed the news. “The previously limited direct air service to New Mexico from the nations’ major markets has long hampered the efforts of New Mexico’s tourism industry to reach out to these markets effectively.

“This decision by New Mexico Airlines, joining with American Eagle’s current offering of direct daily flights between Roswell and Dallas-Fort Worth, means New Mexico will no longer be this country’s best-kept secret.”

Passengers staying in Ruidoso will have access to rental cars through Enterprise Rent-a-car. Two taxi services are available as well through Alto Taxi Service and Dollar Cab.

For more information, visit http://www.www.newmexicoairlines.com; or contact Brad Treptow, Executive Director, Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce, 575-257-7395.

Mike Stauffer
Communications Director
New Mexico Tourism Department
505-827-7379
mike.stauffer@state.nm.us

Jennifer Hoffman
jennifer@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 505 216 0889
Cell: 505 603 8643
http://www.ballantinespr.com

Sony Pictures Imageworks Breaks Ground
at Albuquerque Studios

Please join Gov. Bill Richardson
at the groundbreaking of Sony Pictures Imageworks’ 100,000 square-foot digital animation production facility at Albuquerque Studios at Mesa del Sol.

JUNE 25, 2007

3:45 PM

5650 UNIVERSITY BLVD SE

ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87106

The decision by one of Hollywood’s major studios to establish a new facility in Albuquerque is the latest indication of New Mexico’s rapidly expanding film industry. Once the building is completed, an estimated 300 Sony Pictures Imageworks employees will move to Albuquerque from Los Angeles. Sony Pictures Imageworks has also recently welcomed University of New Mexico as a new member in its Imageworks Professional Academic Excellence program in an effort to nurture young talent.

Bill Richardson
Governor of New Mexico

Nick Smerigan
Chief Operating Officer, Albuquerque Studios

Refreshments to follow.

Contact:
Jennifer Hoffman
jennifer@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 505 216 7669
Cell: 505 603 8643
http://www.ballantinespr.com

State of New Mexico
Office of the Governor
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gilbert Gallegos
May 16, 2007
505.412.2644

Sony Pictures Imageworks
Expands Operations into Albuquerque

Santa Fe Governor Bill Richardson announced today that Sony Pictures Imageworks and Albuquerque Studios have signed a deal that will house new Imageworks facilities in a build-to-spec 100,000-square-foot facility on the studio’s campus at the Mesa del Sol development in Albuquerque. Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. is an Academy Award^® winning, state-of-the-art digital production studio dedicated to the art of visual effects production and character animation. The company most recently received acclaim for its work on Spider-Man^TM 3 and has also completed work on Sony Pictures Animation’s latest feature, Surf’s Up, due in theaters this summer.

“This is a tremendous day for entertainment production in New Mexico,” said Governor Bill Richardson. “We are so pleased to have Sony Imageworks here. Along with the construction of Albuquerque Studios it validates what this administration and the legislature have been building over the past four years with regard to our production industry. Together with our leading incentive program, our experienced crew base and the unmatched natural treasures of our state, this announcement means there’s now no better place for movie and television production than New Mexico. I congratulate Sony Imageworks and Albuquerque Studios.”

For Sony Pictures Imageworks the creation of a base in New Mexico provides the company with a number of great opportunities, according to Imageworks President Tim Sarnoff. “New Mexico offers a combination of quality of life plus economic advantages that will help us as a company to manage both our cost and expand our capacity.” Among the “economic advantages” is New Mexico’s 25 percent tax rebate on production costs for film and TV. The tax incentive’s impact on the industry in the state was a key factor in Imageworks’ decision according to Sarnoff. “We have the potential to grow our business in the region while, at the same time, maintain strong ties with filmmakers as the amount of physical production continues to increase.”

Albuquerque mayor Martin Chavez was also enthusiastic. “Imageworks’ presence will further enhance Albuquerque’s status as one of the nation’s top cities for creativity and quality of life,” said Mayor Chavez.

The deal with Imageworks is the latest announced by Albuquerque Studios, who have recently established agreements with a number of other companies including Axium Payroll Services, Clairmont Camera, NES Equipment Rentals, Quixote Expendables, Starwaggons, Studio Concierge (operated by Southwest Suites) & New Mexico Lighting and Grip a subsidiary of NBC Universal.

“We have built Albuquerque Studios in record time and are very proud that Sony Imageworks has selected us as one of their expansion sites,” said Hal Katersky, CEO of Pacifica Ventures and Albuquerque Studios. “The state of New Mexico and the city of Albuquerque have worked hard with us to make this a reality.”

In addition, Imageworks has chosen University of New Mexico to become a member of the Imageworks Professional Academic Excellence program (IPAX). IPAX, designed by Imageworks, is intended to build stronger relationships with established academic programs and to nurture and grow future generations of digital talent. IPAX is the first program of its kind, focusing on IPAX member faculty development and exposure to real-time production issues and development of standards for training future digital artists. The University of New Mexico joins a roster of member schools that includes Animation Mentor, Carnegie Mellon, DePaul University Computer Graphics and Animation Program, Gnomon School of Visual Effects, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Otis College of Art + Design, Pratt Institute School of Art & Design, Ringling School of Art & Design, Stanford University, and University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television.

All together the agreement indicates another step forward in the state’s strategic plan for growing the media production industries. “Imageworks continues to build on our physical and technological production infrastructure, and moves the state’s production capabilities to the forefront of digital imaging and effects — which is crucial to the long term success of the industry here,” said Eric Witt, Richardson’s director of media arts and entertainment development. “This is a terrific complement to the Albuquerque Studios facility and means we now have full scale, start-to-finish, state-of-the-art production capabilities. The IPAX affiliation will also afford unparalleled opportunity to our university students and professors in this field.”

Further information can be found at:
Imageworks and the IPAX program: http://www.imageworks.com/
Albuquerque Studios: http://www.abqstudios.com/
UNM computer sciences: http://www.artslab.unm.edu/; http://www.cs.unm.edu/

For further information, contact:
Sarah Robarts
sarah@ballantinespr.com
Ballantines PR
Los Angeles, London, New York, Santa Fe
LA Office:
tel: 310 454 3080
fax: 310 388 6027
cell: 310 570 7355
Santa Fe:
505 216 0889
London:
+ 44 207 993 4585
http://www.ballantinespr.com