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Website and Comparison Tool Visit www.epincentivesolutions.com for the most up-to-date incentives information, including a new extensive glossary covering types of incentives, eligibility criteria, benefit limits, and other key issues to consider. Be sure to check out the Comparison Tool that you can use to compare incentives in up to three different jurisdictions. EPPS Preferred Vendor List Preferred vendor lists are now available for EPPS Purchasing, Inc., which provides production equipment and supplies, at competitive rates, in certain states to help maximize your production incentives. Please contact Marco Cordova at 818.955.6278 regarding our EPPS Purchasing, Inc., services. Want to be a preferred EPPS Purchasing, Inc., vendor? Please contact Mary Ann McBride at 412.956.7325 for more information. EP Incentive Solutions Please contact EP's production incentives specialists by email or by phone at 818.955.6216 if you have any questions regarding your next production. We can help you budget your next production and find the most beneficial incentives at no charge. We also provide fee-based services for production incentives administration, finance facilitation, corporate-structure planning, and agreed-upon consulting projects. Visit our Services section for more information and contact information for our EP Incentive Solutions specialists.
U.S. Updates For more information on incentives in each state, visit the U.S. Overview on our website and click on the state of interest.
CALIFORNIA The California Film Commission has reported that the $200 million in funding for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 fiscal years has been exhausted. The Commission is, however, maintaining a wait list. (See news article.) CALIFORNIA - Los Angeles The City Council and mayor are pushing for more incentives to keep filming in Los Angeles. The city has taken steps to improve parking and power distribution and is weighing a sales tax incentive for filmmakers. Officials are considering forming a film commission to promote the local industry. (See news article.) COLORADO Legislation (HB10-1180) has been introduced to expand the scope of the film production incentive and to make it easier to qualify for the incentive. According to the local press, Governor Ritter is "backing" the bill. (See news article.) FLORIDA According to trade reports, legislation has been introduced to increase the annual film incentive funding from $10.8 million to $75 million for three years, increase the rate from 15% to 20%, and the supplemental incentive for family-friendly content from 2% to 5%. The bill is said to have excellent chances of passage in the March-April legislative session and has the backing of Governor Crist. The changes are to become effective immediately on passage. (See news article.) GEORGIA The Department of Revenue has adopted new film tax credit regulations. IOWA Following the discovery of abuses with the film tax credit, Governor Culver appointed a panel to review all of the state's tax credits. The panel recommends eliminating the two credits used by the film industry. Members of Iowa's Motion Picture Association met with legislators to try to salvage the program. A member of the Ways and Means Committee said that no changes were likely this year. The film credit program remains under criminal investigation. (See news article.) MASSACHUSETTS Governor Patrick released his fiscal year 2011 supplemental budget, including a temporary cap of $50 million on the film tax credit for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. NEW JERSEY Proposed legislation introduced in November 2009 (A1524 and S690), has been re-introduced this year and sent to Committee. These bills include the following changes: make the credit refundable, increase the credit to 40% on qualified film production expenses (it remains 20% for digital media production expenses) with an additional 2% credit for purchases in or services provided by a resident of an Urban Enterprise Zone, reduce the local expenditure requirement to 50%, and increase the annual cap on film production credits to $50 million. Governor-elect Christie's "Report to the Transition Team" includes an increase in incentive funding caps to $50 million for film and $10 million for digital media. (See news article.) NEW MEXICO Legislation to repeal the film production tax credit has died in Committee due to strong industry opposition. Governor Richardson has vowed to fight any effort to eliminate the incentive. (See news article.) NEW YORK Governor Paterson's 2010-2011 budget proposal contains an extension and expansion of the existing film tax credit program. It includes an additional film tax credit allocation of $420 million per year for tax years 2010 (up from $350 million in 2009) through 2014 (one year beyond the former sunset date). New funding would be in a "pool" subject to modified tax credit "claim filing" dates. (See news article.) PENNSYLVANIA The updated Film Tax Credit Guidelines are now finalized and available at the Department of Economic Development website. NOTE: Entertainment Partners and EPPS Purchasing, Inc., continue to qualify as a qualified Pennsylvania (PA) vendor under the new guidelines, which more narrowly define qualified PA businesses and vendors. Please contact the PA Film Office to confirm the status of any PA business or vendor. VIRGINIA Governor McDonnell has asked for a $2 million increase in the Motion Picture Opportunity Fund (see text of recent speech). Representatives of the local industry hope to make headway in enhancing the local incentive during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Proposed legislation (HB861 and SB257) creates a 15% to 20% credit for qualified local spend, plus a 10% or 20% credit for resident hires, and a 10% bonus for "first-time" hires. (See Richmond Biz Sense article and News Leader article.)
Entertainment Partners has purchased Workers' Compensation policies from local brokers throughout the United States to help maximize your production incentives! Listed below are those production incentives states where EP currently has a local policy.
Entertainment Partners has an office in each of the following states to help maximize your production incentives (more to open soon!):
* EP and EPPS Purchasing, Inc., have a full-time Account Representative in Georgia to help maximize your production incentives benefits. Please contact Karen Sortor at 678.690.8469 for more information regarding our services in Georgia.
** EP and EPPS Purchasing, Inc. have full-time employees working in our Jefferson Parish office to help maximize your production incentives. Please contact Ryan Broussard at 504.296.2502 for more information regarding our services in Louisiana.
*** EP and EPPS Purchasing, Inc. have an office at The Ford Building in Detroit to help maximize your production incentives. Please contact Blane Hailemichael at 313.573.0018 for more information regarding our services in Michigan.
**** EP and EPPS Purchasing, Inc., have an office at Albuquerque Studios. EP provides super loan-out services in New Mexico to help maximize your production incentives. For more information contact the EP Production Incentives Group.
***** EP and EPPS Purchasing, Inc., have a full-time Account Representative in Pennsylvania to help maximize your production incentive benefits. Please contact Mary Ann McBride at 412.956.7325 for more information regarding our services in Pennsylvania.
411 Publishing Webinar Series Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT January 25, 2010 This was the fourth in a series of webinars moderated by Joe Chianese, presented by 411 Publishing and Variety.com in partnership with the Producers Guild of America. This webinar, entitled "Live from Sundance: Practical Considerations and Conversations with Film Commissioners and Film Makers Regarding Accessing Film Incentives," was broadcast live from the Sundance Film Festival at the NY Lounge on Main Street. The webinar focused on production tax incentives in New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Utah. The panelists included producers and directors who were screening films at the Festival, along with the State Film Commissioners representing the states whose incentive programs enabled the films to be made. Click here to register for and view the archived presentation. New York Panelists:
Please visit the Happenings section of our website for information on upcoming events as it becomes available.