New Film Jobs Bill Focuses on Giving the Movie Industry a Boost in Colorado

Wednesday, February 8 2012

“In Colorado, the arts mean business”

DENVER – Today, the bipartisan Film Production Activities in Colorado Act, sponsored by Senator Linda Newell (D-Littleton) and Representative Tom Massey (R-Poncha Springs) was introduced in the House of Representatives to create new jobs in the Colorado film industry. This bill is part of the Senate Majority’s “Colorado Works Jobs Package,” a series of bills focused on continued job creation and economic growth in the state.

The Film Production Activities in Colorado Act is the first of its kind in the country in that it creates a loan guarantee program for production activities.  The bill will also make Colorado more attractive for movie production by increasing the existing film incentive from a 10 percent rebate for production costs to 20 percent, thereby allowing Colorado to meet or exceed similar programs in other states.  This rebate will apply to production costs for films, television series, commercials, documentaries, music videos and video game creation.

This measure was sponsored in the House by Representative Massey and Representative Mark Ferrandino (D-Denver), and is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Newell and Senator Jean White (R-Hayden).

Senator Newell offered the following comment on the introduction of the Film Production Activities in Colorado Act today:

“In Colorado, the arts mean business and it means jobs. By increasing film production jobs in our state, we can also keep tourism jobs in our restaurants, lodging and ski resorts, etc.  And right now we need to bring back as many jobs as we can. That's why we're working so well together across the aisle on this.  We all want more jobs for Colorado workers.”

The combination of diverse and scenic landscapes and the availability of experienced film crews as well as existing infrastructure make Colorado a desirable state for film production.  More than 400 films have been filmed in the state, including feature films like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Catch and Release, True Grit and City Slickers. However, incentive programs in other states have lured movie production to other regions in recent years.

The Film Production Activities in Colorado Act works to reverse this trend. The legislation has wide support from film and creative industries all over the state, including the CINEMA (Colorado Innovators of New Entertainment, Media, and Arts) Colorado Coalition, a division of Governor John Hickenlooper’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The creative industry is the fifth largest employment sector in the state, and one of the fastest growing in the country.

Donald Zuckerman, Director of the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, offered the following comment today on the importance of the Film Jobs Act:

“This bill is so important for Colorado’s content creation industry.  Content creation is one of America’s fastest growing industries and one of its greatest exports.”

Under the Film Jobs Act, an in-state production company’s local expenditures must be at least $100,000 and an out-of-state company must spend at least $1 million to qualify for the performance-based incentive program. In addition, 50 percent of the jobs must be filled by Colorado residents, an increase over the existing 25 percent requirement.