LANSING – House Democrats today announced a bipartisan plan that will create jobs and boost Michigan's economy by attracting filmmakers to Michigan with the most competitive film incentive package in the country.
"Making Michigan the go-to place for the film industry will provide an immediate economic boost, creating jobs and revenues for our state," said State Representative Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale), Chair of the House Commerce Committee. "Working together, we drafted an outstanding package to attract this dynamic industry and fight the brain drain that sends too many of our young people to Los Angeles and New York."
State lawmakers will hold a joint committee hearing on Tuesday, March 4, to put the finishing touches on a package that will put Michigan at the top of the nation for motion picture and commercial production.
"There are many reasons why Michigan is a desirable location for production crews, but our Great Lakes, urban centers, quaint towns, forests, vineyards and beautifully changing seasons are only one side of the coin," said State Representative Marc Corriveau (D-Northville), a lead sponsor of the package. "Money talks and the film industry always goes for the best deal they can find. We need to show the film industry how affordable and easy it is to make a major motion picture in Michigan."
Meisner and Senator Jason Allen, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, have been researching film incentives in states that currently lead the pack. The idea is to take those pieces of the best incentives in the country and put them together under one package, in one state: Michigan. The plan will be a mixture of tax rebates, loan incentives and workforce development credits.
"Semi-Pro," the latest motion picture to be filmed in Michigan will open nationwide on Friday. The movie stars Will Farrell and Woody Harrelson, and was filmed in Flint in 2007. The movie brought in $1.3 million to the Michigan economy through purchases and local hires. "8 Mile," which was filmed in Detroit for 4 and 1/2 months, pumped $7.2 million into the state's economy. Louisiana, which was one of the first states to enact a film incentive package, saw its annual film spending go from $7 million in 2003 to $350 million in 2005.
"The money is there and we can't afford to wait," said State Representative Mary Valentine (D-Norton Shores). "Film producers are scouting locations as we speak, and we aren't going to be on the list without better incentives. We have the opportunity to capitalize and boost our economy with an industry we're currently not doing business with as much as we should. Let's move this plan now to strengthen our economy and create more jobs for our workers."