Iowa lawmakers propose film incentives |
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Tue, 20 Feb 2007 17:21
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa may soon be a friendlier place to make movies.Tom Wheeler, manager of the Iowa Film Office, said Iowa is among a handful of states that don't offer the kinds of incentives that can make other states prime shooting locations.But lawmakers are making an effort to change that, offering bills in the Iowa House and Senate that would offer perks for moviemakers.Incentives under the proposed bills include a state tax credit for film producers that would be equal to 25 percent of the cost of items they purchase or rent in Iowa. That includes items such as rental cars, equipment for the movie set and the wages of people hired as extras.There would also be a tax credit for Iowa-based businesses -- such as firms providing camera or sound equipment -- for offering the items to a registered film project. The proposed credit could be tied to additional business generated by the project.'It could help us grow faster and allow us to do more things,' said Nick Bertelsen, manager of the Cinequipt Inc. office in Urbandale, which offers television, film and media equipment.Marshalltown native Xaypani Baacam, the Iowa-born director of the 'The Curse,' said the prospective incentives are helping him negotiate additional investment in his feature-length film, billed as a 'supernatural thriller.''You have about 30 percent of the film industry going outside California, and those projects are going to states with tax incentives,' said Baacam, who lives in Los Angeles.Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, heads the Senate subcommittee that oversees economic development spending. He said the tax incentives would more than pay for themselves with the extra money spent in Iowa, and through the exposure on the big screen.While Iowa has a lot to offer film producers right now, he said 'they just need that additional incentive to make it work.'Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Incentive imbroglio unsettling film industry 