The California Film Commission has approved 51 film productions for tax incentives through the state’s film and tax credit program, the most ever approved in a single application window.
Collectively, these productions are estimated to spend $346.9 million in wages and generate approximately $577.8 million in qualified expenditures statewide. These projects are also expected to hire 6,490 cast and crew members, with 37,000 background performers hired, measured in days worked.
And in an effort to expand the benefits of the program beyond Hollywood itself, 31 of the productions will shoot outside of Los Angeles. These projects have more than 360 combined shoot days planned in Contra Costa, Oakland, Ojai, Merced, and San Diego Counties, among others.
46 of the 51 projects are independent, but there are some high profile studio projects as well, most notably Dan Kwan and Dan Scheinert’s follow-up to their Oscar-winning hit “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Known together as the Daniels, the filmmakers have their next movie set up at Universal with Jonathan Wang producing. The film will receive $20.8 million in tax credits from $106 million in qualified spending.
“We are LA filmmakers, with very dear LA friends, who happen to be some of the greatest creative talents we’ve worked with,” said The Daniels and Wang in a joint statement. “On ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ we received the California tax credit, and had we not, it would have been utterly impossible to make that film. We were also deeply moved by the CFC’s commitment to supporting local filmmakers and the broader community. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to film our next project in Los Angeles, creating jobs and opportunities for countless Californians.”
The new dispersal of tax credits comes as California legislators prepare to make dramatic changes to the program in an effort to halt the exodus of productions to other states and countries. Authors of two bills in the State Assembly and Senate are expected in the coming days to unveil further details on proposed changes that could make it easier for more productions to apply for the credits, while Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for the cap on the program to be increased from $330 million to $750 million, which would make it the second largest incentive program in the country behind only Georgia’s uncapped program.
“The devastating wildfires in Southern California have presented unprecedented challenges for our film and television community, disrupting more than a dozen productions within our Film & Television Tax Credit Program alone and impacting countless more”, said Colleen Bell, Director of the California Film Commission.
“These disruptions have impacted employment for thousands of cast and crew members, affecting everything from production schedules and financing to housing and location access,” Bell continued. “Now more than ever, this program is a critical tool to help productions recover, keeping jobs and investment here in our state, all while ensuring that California remains the heart of the entertainment industry.”
The full list of approved projects can be viewed here.
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