More Film Projects Coming to State Due to Film Tax Credit Program

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week that 28 new film projects are coming to California thanks to awards funded by the film and television tax credit program, which was expanded by legislation signed earlier this year.

The bill more than doubling the film tax credit to $750 million a year was a California Chamber of Commerce-supported Cost Cutter (AB 1138; Zbur;D-Hollywood; Chapter 27).

The Governor’s office estimates the productions will hire a total of 4,837 cast and crew, along with 22,614 background performers (measured in days worked), across 831 shooting days statewide. The projects also will generate $337 million in qualified spending throughout California, including $209 million in qualified wages.

The listed projects include “Gold Mountain,” a story about the California Gold Rush from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee, and an untitled biopic produced by Snoop Dogg.

Seventeen of the new projects will film outside the 30-mile Los Angeles filming zone. Out-of-zone locations include Alameda, Contra Costa, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties, as well as Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo and Temecula.

Shooting entirely outside the Los Angeles zone will be five independent projects, including “Gold Mountain,” with 50 out-of-zone filming days in Sacramento County.

More information about the film and television tax credit program is available from the California Film Commission.