Attracting filmmakers to Virginia

By: WSLS News Staff news@wsls.com | WSLS 10
Published: January 23, 2009

New legislation could bring more filmmakers and millions of dollars to Virginia.
The General Assembly is considering a bill that would give filmmakers more incentives to make fils here in the commonwealth.
A representative for The Virginia Production Alliance says Virginia is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in jobs and economic developments because other states offer filmmakers better financial packages than the Commonwealth.
Sen. L. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth has sponsered a bill that would generate an estimated $6 million per year for the Governor's Motion Picture Opportunity Fund if it's enacted.
Roanoke Del. Onzlee Ware is introducing companion bills as well.
THe GMPOF has recently been unfunded due to state budget cuts.
The Virginia Production Alliance says the bill would create a 10% user fee for movies watched in Virginia hotel rooms.
Five percent of that money would be returned to the state's general fund and the remaining five percent would go to the GMPOF.
They say it would generate an estimated $3 million annually.
They say Virginia recently lost a $30 million film, "The Box," starring Cameron Diaz to Massachusetts, even though the screenplay was set in Richmond and written by a Richmonder with Richmond in mind.
They say since 2006 Virginia lost such blockbusters as "Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mystery," and "Leatherheads."
Those films could have brought Virginia around $356 million.
According to information from the Virginia Production Alliance:
• The film industry employs 6,000 Virginians including carpenters, set designers, caterers, actors, and other production personnel.
• The economic return on each dollar invested is $14.30.
• John Adams, a seven-part mini-series, which was filmed in Virginia returned $80 million to the Commonwealth during filming, and employed 4,000 Virginians.

Attracting filmmakers to Virginia

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