Actor and director Robert Redford announced Friday that a new center for training Hispanic and Native American filmmakers will open this April at Los Luceros, an historic hacienda along the Rio Grande north of Española.

Speaking at a news conference at the Roundhouse where he was seated next to Gov. Bill Richardson, Redford said the center, to be called Milagro at Los Luceros, represents "My commitment to enable ... unrepresented voices in our culture."

The center will start up slowly with screenwriting workshops and an actor's lab, and will be modeled after Redford's not-for-profit Sundance Institute in Utah, which was founded in 1981 to promote independent filmmaking. The institute hosts the annual Sundance Film Festival, which celebrated its 26th year in January in Park City, Utah.

Last May, Redford and Richardson, who has worked to make New Mexico a magnet for movie production companies, said this program would be titled Sundance in New Mexico. But on Friday, Redford said, "Rather than bring Sundance here, I want to create something new.

"The value I see, the principal factor as it relates to the state and the larger issues facing our country at this time, is that this is going to create jobs," Redford said.

According to the New Mexico Film Office, the film industry in the state has generated roughly $3 billion in economic activity since the governor signed lucrative film incentive bills into place in 2003. Those incentives include zero-percent interest loans on qualifying productions, a 25 percent tax rebate deal, and a 50 percent reimbursement of wages for on-the-job training of New Mexican citizens in below-the-line (technical) crew positions.

During the recently concluded regular legislative session, several lawmakers who question the benefits of the program unsuccessfully attempted to cap or kill the incentives. Richardson acknowledged Friday he is concerned the issue could come up again when he convenes a special legislative session on Monday.

Redford praised New Mexico's film incentives as "the best" in the country, and said it didn't make sense to cap or kill them because that would "remove your ability to grow, to create. You'll end up on the short end of the international stick. Caps would take a lot of jobs out of the state."

Richardson said eight films are currently shooting in the state, and said he hoped the film business here will "remain one of my legacies."

The Milagro program — which takes its name in part from Redford's 1988 film version of John Nichols' novel The Milagro Beanfield War, shot in New Mexico — will be at the 150-acre property in Alcalde which was purchased by the state Department of Cultural Affairs for $2.5 million in 2008.

Initial funding for Milagro will come from several sources, Richardson said. He will use discretionary funds of $750,000 in federal stimulus monies to build eco-friendly housing at Los Luceros for participating filmmakers. In addition, DCA will provide $150,000 per year in operating funds to maintain the property. The New Mexico Film Office will ante up $120,000 to fund some of the programs.

Though the program is primarily aiming for Hispanic and Native participants, New Mexico Film Office director Lisa Strout said anyone can apply.

While a few questions remain about the specifics of the programming and how applicants will be selected, Strout confirmed the training is free, though she said the state expects participants to give back in some way, whether it's "fixing fences on the property or teaching at Alcalde Elementary School."

Redford and Richardson said the program will launch in April with public events including a low-rider parade and free screenings of The Milagro Beanfield War. Other events will include a discussion revolving around financing and distribution of independent films, and a mid-May talk with Academy Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler.

E-mail Kathleen Broyles, New Mexico's liaison to Robert Redford, at loslucerosnm@gmail.com, for more information on the program.

Contact Robert Nott at 986-3021 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.