Asociacion Nacional de Actores (ANDA)

Overview

The Asociacion Nacional de Actores (ANDA) is the Mexican union representing professional actors and performers working in film, television, theatre, radio, dubbing, and commercial production in Mexico. Founded in 1934, ANDA is one of the oldest and largest performers' unions in Latin America, with more than 10,000 members. The union negotiates collective agreements with Mexican studios, television networks, streaming platforms, and independent producers, establishing minimum rates, working conditions, and benefit entitlements for covered performers.

ANDA is a national industry union (sindicato nacional de industria) with headquarters in Mexico City. The union's statutes define its scope as covering performers across all specialties: actors, singers, dancers, stage and dialogue directors, hosts, masters of ceremonies, dubbing actors, radio and voiceover performers, digital platform performers, narrators, models, impersonators, circus artists, stunt performers, puppeteers, magicians, mimes, and clowns.

Membership and Fees

ANDA membership requires registration through the Secretariat of Statistics and Organization. The membership process involves submitting identification (INE copy), a curriculum, and 4 child-size photographs, along with paying the following fees:

Payments are made in cash or by credit/debit card at ANDA's cashier windows, Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 16:00. The credential is required for identification at work sources as an affiliated union member and provides access to exclusive promotions and discounts.

To achieve full union status (calidad sindical), a member must either demonstrate 120 days of work through ANDA or pay an amount equivalent to 10% of the average calculated from 120 days of work using stellar tabuladores across all specialties. Members must also complete a union formation workshop and demonstrate basic knowledge of the union's statutes and regulations.

Union Dues and Salary Structure

ANDA deducts 15% of a performer's salary as union dues (cuota sindical). This deduction is divided into:

• 10% cotizacion: funds administrative and operational costs (building maintenance, utilities, staff salaries)
• 5% extraordinary fee: 3.5% supports retirement programs, 1.5% supports social welfare programs

Additionally, ANDA withholds 10% for ISR (income tax), which goes to SAT (Mexico's tax authority), not to the union.

Employers (empresas) pay the following benefits directly to ANDA, separate from the performer's salary:

• Social welfare (prevision social): medical services
• Retirement (jubilacion)
• Childcare (estancia infantil)
• Annual contribution to training centers (CCA-ANDA)

Performers also receive employer-paid benefits including 3% cultural bonus, 3% productivity bonus, proportional Christmas bonus (aguinaldo) and vacation premium, overtime pay (double and triple rates), Sunday premium (where applicable), per diem for transportation and meals (where applicable), and minor expenses (where applicable). Sunday and holiday calls are paid at triple rates.

Tabuladores: Minimum Rate System

ANDA establishes minimum salary rates (tabuladores) for each specialty and production type. Tabuladores are negotiated individually with each production company based on the characteristics of the production. The system categorizes performers by role level: primera parte (first part), segunda parte (second part), tercera parte (third part), coestelar (co-starring), and estelar (starring), with rates increasing by level.

ANDA does not publish complete tabuladores publicly because they are the product of private negotiations with each company. Sharing full rate cards could give competing production companies leverage in salary negotiations. Performers can request specific rate information for a proposed role by emailing trabajo@laanda.org.mx with their name, member number, company name, project name, and character name.

For dubbing, ANDA uses a single homologated tabulador applied to all companies that have signed the Homologated Contract with the union. For theater, varieties, and television, base tabuladores are created for productions signing agreements, with rates varying by production characteristics. Each television company and each film, theater, and varieties company that signs a Collective Bargaining Agreement (Contrato Colectivo de Trabajo) with ANDA negotiates its own tabulador and corresponding annual salary increases.

Social Welfare Programs

ANDA operates social welfare programs that go beyond the labor contract functions of most North American unions. These programs make ANDA membership practically essential for Mexican performers who need access to healthcare and pension security:

• Hospital Artistas Asociados: Provides healthcare to union members and their families
• Retirement funds: Pensions for members who have accumulated sufficient work days and contributions
• Childcare (estancia infantil): Childcare services for members' children
• Training centers (CCA-ANDA): Annual employer contributions fund continuing education and professional development
• Casa del Actor: Support services for members

For international productions engaging Mexican performers, understanding ANDA's social welfare contribution requirements is essential for accurate production budgeting. Employer contributions to the union's welfare funds are separate from the performer fee and represent a meaningful additional cost. In cases where a company does not assume responsibility for social benefits, performers can make voluntary contributions (aportacion voluntaria) equivalent to 27% of their salary: 10% cotizacion, 5% extraordinary fee, 6% social welfare, 4% retirement, and 2% childcare. Rates vary for film and television productions.

Mexican Entertainment Industry Context

Mexico's entertainment industry is anchored by Televisa, one of the world's largest Spanish-language media companies, and TV Azteca, alongside a growing streaming sector with Netflix Mexico producing substantial original Mexican content. The theatrical film industry centered on Mexico City produces both commercial mainstream films and artistically ambitious productions supported by IMCINE funding. ANDA members work across all of these sectors, from Televisa's telenovela production (which employs a large and continuous performer workforce) through theatrical film and international co-productions.

Mexican filmmakers Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu have all won Academy Awards for Best Director, elevating the profile of Mexican cinema internationally and creating new interest in Mexican production as a co-production destination. ANDA members increasingly work on international productions that choose Mexico as a shooting location, and the union's agreements establish the minimum terms that apply to Mexican performers on these productions.

Mexico's EFICINE tax incentive (administered by IMCINE) and its experienced production infrastructure make Mexico an attractive shooting location. Understanding ANDA's role is part of planning a compliant Mexican production.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international productions shooting in Mexico and casting Mexican performers, ANDA coverage applies to professional Mexican performers. ANDA minimum rates (tabuladores) and benefit contribution requirements must be incorporated into the production budget. The 15% union dues are deducted from the performer's salary, while employer contributions to social welfare, retirement, childcare, and training are additional costs paid by the production company. Sunday and holiday calls are paid at triple rates, and overtime is paid at double and triple rates.

For Mexican performers, ANDA membership costs $110.00 MXN to register, plus $150.00 to $220.00 MXN for credentials. Membership provides minimum rate protection, healthcare access through Hospital Artistas Asociados, retirement benefits, childcare, and union advocacy in negotiations with production companies and networks.

See Also

For the Mexican film funding agency, see IMCINE in this directory. For the Latin American regional context, see FNCL / Latin American Filmmakers Federation in this directory. Use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to estimate production costs including ANDA benefit contributions for a Mexican shoot.