Coalition applauds new bill to boost Florida's film industry

A coalition of small and large film, entertainment, and digital media enterprises are praising a pair of proposals in the Florida Legislature to boost film production in the Sunshine State.

The Whole Picture: Saving Florida Film and Digital Jobs is an association applauding Senate Bill 1046, filed this week by Venice Republican Nancy Detert, seeking to attract more film projects to Florida through the Entertainment Industry Tax Credit Program.

The coalition is supported by the Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, as well as Film Florida, Motion Picture Association of America, the Entertainment Software Association and other business groups.

The tax credit program awards credits based qualified expenditures.

State lawmakers recently examined House Bill 451, from State Rep. Mike Miller, during a recent House Finance and Tax Subcommittee meeting. Both bills seek to create economic development and jobs by strengthening Florida’s film industry.

“Florida effortlessly has had its place in the business of manufacturing movies and content,” said Michelle Hillery, deputy film commissioner for Palm Beach County’s Film & Television Commission (FTC). “A shift in the entertainment business model, and the way countries and states aggressively pursued this industry has changed the landscape.”

Hillery added that it is no longer enough for the state to “offer spectacular scenery, moderate climate, and endless sunshine.” For serious competition, there need to be incentives, trained professional workforce, developing talent, and the cooperation from the state and local levels.

Also speaking was John Lux, Chief Operating Officer of IDEAS, an Orlando-based media and experience design company.

“Projects may come from different places, but the people who work on these projects are full-time residents of Florida,” Lux said. “The entertainment industry includes more than 100,000 Floridians and 16,000 Florida companies.

“Our workforce lives here, works here, spends money here, and wants to stay here,” he added. “Critics call it temporary labor — I call it high-skill, high-wage paying jobs.”

According to a 2012 EDR perspective analysis, the projected economic impact of the state’s film industry is $4.1 Billion from 2010 – 2016, with a return on investment to the gross domestic project of $15 for every $1 spent.