Senate Bill 5539 tries to gain support for the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program

Filmmakers in Washington often enjoy benefits from Washington Filmworks, an organization that handles support for film productions and the incentives that come along with it. These incentives can include a thirty percent return on all in-state expenses (including labor and talent), sales tax exemptions on equipment and vehicle rentals, as well as tax exemptions on a 30 day hotel stay. It applies to any film, television program, or commercial shot in state. However, the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program is on the chopping block in the legislature. The incentive is meant to bring business and publicity to the state, and to encourage both independent and major filmmakers to bring their art to the evergreen state.
Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon are big players in the film industry, and have comparable landscapes when it comes to Washington. British Columbia can give a tax credit of up to 35%, and Oregon offers 20% back on all goods and services from Oregon, as well as 16.2% back on wages paid to labor and talent. The threat of Washington’s incentives to disappear has moved many productions, even those that take place in Seattle (such as AMC’s series, “The Killing” and the Twilight movies) to Oregon.
Senate Bill 5539 has yet to be voted on in the state Legislature. House Speaker, Representative Frank Chopp (Democrat) was a pivotal player in blocking the bill back in 2011. The bill still remains in a committee, as it was during the last session where it failed to make it to a final vote on the House floor. Chopp, in his opening day speech for the 2012 session, laid out his priorities, which include immediate job creation, support for industry development and creation, and creating family wage jobs. The bill addresses all three of these goals, and the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program has created more than 4,800 jobs, and generated $38 million dollars in revenue for Washington state businesses.
Budget cuts have not only affected the film industry, but funding for the state tourism office was cut during the Legislature’s last session. The threat of the program’s cut didn’t stop filmmakers on the set of “Safety Not Guaranteed” however. The film is headed to the Sundance Film Festival, and is getting some much needed press to the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program.
According to the state Legislature’s website, Senate Bill 5539 was “reintroduced and retained in current status” on January 9th. Bills that do not get passed on the House floor return to their point of origin, meaning the bill in a sense, starts all over again. Washington Filmworks has three lobbyists working in the state capitol, including Board Chair of Washington Filmworks, Becky Bogard. Washington Filmworks has also called local businesses into action to support the bill by signing onto a “Letter of Support”. Not many businesses have signed on so far, but supporters of the bill are hopeful that more will join in soon.
You can learn more about the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program at www.washingtonfilmworks.org, or at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo. You can also support the bill by writing your local legislator. You can locate yours at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder

Written by Joie Sullivan