Bipartisan lawmakers unveiled a bill Thursday for a federal film and TV credit covering 20% of labor costs, with bonuses potentially raising it to 30%. It would stack with state incentives if enacted; Congress has yet to approve the proposal.
The base credit would cover all labor costs, including above- and below-the-line work. The bill proposes 5% bonuses for filming in rural areas or for independent productions. Los Angeles County would also qualify for a 5% bonus for five years because it is a federal disaster area.
The proposal follows a production slump that has cost more than 50,000 jobs in Los Angeles over four years. A Motion Picture Association study projects a federal incentive could double the nation’s $20 billion film and TV production industry by 2032 and create about 143,500 jobs. Manitoba’s film commissioner said the impact on production there is unclear; local producers’ preliminary calculations suggest the province could remain competitive because of currency exchange.
