The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has passed a filming incentives program whereby producers of theatrical features and television programs can qualify for a rebate of taxes (local payroll, and a portion of hotel and sales taxes) as well as fees paid to the city for those productions that shoot 65 percent or more of their principal photography in San Francisco. Lower budget (less than $3 million) features and TV shows only need 55 percent of their principal photography to take place in San Francisco in order to be eligible.
While formal regulations as to how the initiative is to be applied to projects were being worked on at press time, the incentives are currently available to producers–with the understanding that the rebates will be paid once those regulations are finalized.
Not included in the incentive program are commercials. Stefanie Coyote, executive director of the San Francisco Film Commission, explained that the focus of the initiative were those projects–features and TV programs–that had declined markedly in terms of filming in San Francisco. Commercials, she said, have held steady and thus it would have been difficult to justify spot incentives to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which voted to have the newly instituted program in effect for three years.
Steve Caplan, executive VP of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), said the organization was disappointed over spots being excluded from the San Francisco measure. He noted that commercials have been a longstanding staple of Bay Area production, helping to sustain the production community there. He added that a rebate-type program is even more relevant to spots than longer form fare. “Recovering certain costs can have a significant impact on the decision of where to shoot commercials,” said Caplan.
AICP/West board member Lauren Schwartz, owner/executive producer of kaboom productions, San Francisco, also expressed disappointment over commercials not being part of the incentives program. At the same time she harbors hope that spots might later be piggybacked onto the measure, benefiting the small entrepreneurial Bay Area businesses that are involved in commercialmaking. She noted that it’s important that San Francisco compete globally for commercials, meaning that incentives are needed to help level the playing field when competing against other cities, states and countries for spot lensing. The financial bottom line, affirmed Schwartz, is critical to attracting commercial production business.
Schwartz contended that there has been a decline in spot filming in San Francisco over the years. She further noted that there’s been attrition in the city’s commercial production house ranks. A San Francisco area market that at one time had assorted spot production companies now has but a few shops active in commercials, such as kaboom, Roaring Tiger, new media house Mekanism, animation studio Wild Brain, and hoytyboy pictures.
Still Schwartz thinks it’s a positive step for San Francisco to have at least put some incentives in place, even if they’re currently just for features and TV programs. As these incentives hopefully draw filming into the city, they could serve to fortify the production infrastructure, which in turn could indirectly benefit the Bay Area commercialmaking industry.
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More