On April 10 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the California Film Commission (CFC) held its third annual “Speed Dating” breakfast during which invited location filming decision-makers–feature and TV production executives, indie producers, location scouts and commercialmakers–were matched up for quickie round-robin sessions with 28 regional film office representatives from throughout the state. The table-hopping event gave industry attendees a taste of the diverse locales each city/county/region has to offer.
CFC director Amy Lemisch was gratified to see increased turnout from the spotmaking community, including execs from such houses as RSA Films and Believe Media.
For Lemisch, the session can be described as a calculated counter punch to the mega locations event which was going on across town at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium–the three day (4/10-12) Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Locations Trade Show, at which film commissions from all over the country and the world come to the Southland to woo Hollywood for filming biz.
While the CFC and assorted city, county and regional California film commissions showcase their wares at AFCI Locations, there’s more of an emphasis by many other exhibiting film commissions on financial incentives such as rebates and tax credits.
California still harbors hope of getting its own filming incentives package off the ground, but the prospects don’t look all that promising given the state’s massive budget shortfall. Meanwhile an estimated 40 states in this country–not to mention numerous other nations–have enticing rebates, tax breaks and credits in place. For example, Michigan generated a major buzz at the AFCI Locations Trade Show with its new program offering filmmakers a 40 percent tax credit on spending in the state on feature, TV and commercial production.
So the CFC and local film commissioners throughout the Golden State are instead putting the spotlight on the locales, services and production infrastructure that California can offer feature, TV, spot and music video producers. And while Lemisch and her state colleagues championed that message at the Locations Trade Show, clearly they were able to communicate it more directly and with less competitive interference at the “Speed Dating” session, which drew some 75 influential contacts.
During this latest round of “Speed Dating,” Lemisch said the groundwork was laid for some projects to film on location in California. “It’s part of our needing to be more innovative in how we present our case.”
During this latest round of “Speed Dating,” Lemisch said the groundwork was laid for some projects to film on location in California. “It’s part of our needing to be more innovative in how we present our case.”
However, until that realization sets in and translates into progressive legislative action, Lemisch said that “Speed Dating,” among other inventive means, are needed to show that California remains film friendly and deep in talent, services and locations.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic 3” Rule Box Office For 1st Weekend Of 2025
The Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.
The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn't far behind.
"Sonic 3" stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. "Mufasa's" running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.
In third place, Focus Features' "Nosferatu" remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable. "Nosferatu," which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).
No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, "Moana 2," claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.
The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in... Read More