Financial incentives, rebates may go to filmmakers

Industry News :: Financial incentives, rebates may go to filmmakers

Officials hope to make the city friendlier to filmmakers with a proposal to offer financial incentives and rebates for shooting productions here.

Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier planned to introduce legislation today that would rebate city-imposed fees and expenses on big-budget filmmakers who film at least 65 percent of their principal photography in San Francisco.

For productions that cost less than $3 million, shooting 55 percent would qualify. Rebates would be given only after a production has wrapped.

If approved by the board of supervisors, the measure would be the first of its kind in California, which has seen a loss of film productions to Canada, Australia and other states in the United States where financial incentives are already offered, according to the California Film Commission.

``For years, San Francisco relied on being the prettiest girl at the dance when it came to attracting the film industry,'' Alioto-Pier said last week. ``In today's global market, with other states and countries creating aggressive film incentive packages, we have to do more to be competitive.''

-- Associated Press

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