Legislation needed to make the Film California First anti-runaway subsidy program a reality has been passed by the State Assembly. The bill—AB 484, authored by Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica)—initially gained approval from the State Senate (SHOOT, 9/8, p. 1), and then cleared the Assembly, paving the way for the program’s enactment.
The necessary funds for Film California First were officially allocated on June 30 when it was included in the 2000-’01 state budget signed by Gov. Gray Davis (D-Calif.). However, a companion piece of "enabling legislation," AB 484, was required in order to define how the program should be implemented.
Proposed by Davis as the centerpiece of his anti-runaway production initiative, Film California First will provide $15 million annually for each of the next three years, to "reimburse state and local [government] agencies for the costs they incur for television and film production in their jurisdictions" (SHOOT, 5/26, p. 1). This will translate into feature, TV, commercial and music video producers realizing certain key savings, including reimbursement of state and federal employee costs related to filming, and local public costs for fire services and non-police safety. For example, the program may apply to costs incurred for California Highway Patrol services that are required in order to film on state highways.
Under the program—which is slated to take effect this fall—the government entity where filming occurred can request reimbursement from the Film California First fund, and/or the reimbursement can be requested by the production company. Film California First has the flexibility to apply funds toward filming in any part of California. That means producers can choose the best California locations for their projects. Local communities in turn benefit through the job creation and positive economic impact generated by location shooting.
The Film California First fund will be administered by the California Trade & Commerce Agency’s Office of Economic Development, in concert with the California Film Commission (CFC). The Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Film U.S., an organization consisting of 196 local and state film commissioners, have expressed hope that Film California First will prompt other states and even the federal government to follow suit in some form to help address the runaway production problem (SHOOT, 5/26, p. 4). Film California First has also received endorsements from such groups as the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
