PHOENIX — Lights, camera, action: in the desert. Because of a new state law, you soon may be seeing more production studios filming in Arizona. That also prompted one Valley woman to start her very own film company.
Anita Verma-Lallian has helped bring big-name companies to the state by selling them land through her company Arizona Land Consulting. It’s a business that’s come with success and recognition.
“I’ve been involved in bringing a lot of industries here, whether it's the semiconductor industry, the electric vehicle industry,” she said.
But now, she’s ready to bring the film industry to the state, through her new company Camelback Productions.
After years of seeing movie and TV creators choose New Mexico, Utah, or California, the Arizona Motion Picture Production Program went into law last year. It offers production studios that film in Arizona $75 million in tax credits for 2023 and up to $125 million by 2025.
But Anita’s plans go beyond the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
“I want to represent communities that are not represented,” she said.
Anita says her company will be the first female and South Asian-owned film production and entertainment company in Arizona. Her goal is to bring more diversity to the big screen. She says her daughter’s passion for acting has also inspired her.
“I want her to never feel like ethnicity or race is a barrier to get any role that she would want,” she said. “So at a personal level, that's important. But I think even above that, it's so important for minority groups to get representation and not be held back because of race and ethnicity. So I think it’s been a long time coming and there’s definitely good progress being made, but I do think there’s a little more work to be done.”
