[Press release from the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.]
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission
today commended Ohio Governor John Kasich and the Ohio Legislature
for expanding the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Incentive, a critical tool
for strengthening Ohio's growing film industry and creating jobs for
Ohioans.
"Expanding the Ohio Motion Picture
Tax Incentive is essential for the growth of Ohio's emerging film
industry, and now Ohio can continue to attract film projects, create
more jobs and make positive contributions to our economy," said
Ivan Schwarz, executive director of the Greater Cleveland Film
Commission.
"Raising the cap on the tax
incentive acknowledges the success of Ohio's program and lets the
national and international film industry know that Ohio is open for
business. I want to sincerely thank Governor John Kasich for signing
this important legislation, and Ohio Sen. Tom Patton and Ohio Rep.
Mike Dovilla for sponsoring the legislation that made this possible,"
Schwarz said.
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission
advocated strongly on behalf of the tax incentive, and testified in
front of Ohio House of Representatives and Senate committees in
support of the bill. The Commission is committed to building a
year-round, sustainable statewide film industry through job creation,
workforce development, and attracting media production.
Initiated in 2009, the Ohio Motion
Picture Tax Credit provides for a refundable credit against the
corporation franchise or income tax for motion pictures produced in
Ohio. The tax credit now offers a total of $40 million for fiscal
years 2012 and 2013, with up to $20 million that can be allotted in
the first fiscal year of the biennium.
The expansion comes shortly after the
release of a Cleveland State University economic study showing the
motion picture tax incentive returns $1.20 into the Ohio economy for
every $1 invested by the incentive.
The study, prepared by CSU's Center for
Economic Development at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban
Affairs, stated that about 1,143 full-time equivalent Ohio jobs and
$35.5 million in household income are estimated to have been credited
to the 27 projects that took advantage of the Ohio Motion Picture Tax
Credit in the past three years.
In Northeast Ohio alone, the 16
projects that filmed exclusively in the region are estimated to
account for 901 full-time equivalent jobs and $27.3 million in
household income, according to the study. Retail shops, restaurants,
hotels, contractors, real estate agents, and rental agencies in areas
of filming also showed increased revenue in conjunction with filming.
Ohio's rich, varied landscapes, skilled
workforce and historic architecture make Ohio a prime location for
filmmakers. Many of those locations are showcased in the blockbuster
Marvel's The Avengers, which was released in May and filmed in
several Ohio locations including Public Square and East 9th Street in
Cleveland, NASA Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, and Wilmington in
southwest Ohio.
"There's no doubt that Marvel's
The Avengers filmed in Ohio because we had a film incentive,"
Schwarz said, noting that all studio feature films shot in Ohio since
the tax incentive was introduced have used it. "Expanding this
incentive keeps Ohio competitive with other states and opens the door
for more film projects and more jobs."
Ohio is one of several states,
including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana that offer a tax
incentive to film and television productions, according to the study.
Michigan offers $25 million; Pennsylvania offers $60 million; and
Louisiana has no tax credit limit.
To learn more about the Greater
Cleveland Film Commission, click here.
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