On November 23rd Governor Mitt Romney signed the bill that will bring film and tv production to Massachusetts. I am very excited about this I can’t think of a better Thanksgiving Present. Yipee! Big Film compaines and TV productions are already looking into Masachusetts for future projects.

Here is the latest from the CP Casting hot line:

More Movies To Shoot In Commonwealth as Film Incentives Bill Signed Into Law

(Boston, MA) With a stroke of his pen, Governor Mitt Romney signed bill
4252, providing tax incentives to the motion picture industry, into law and
completed the work begun by members of the Massachusetts Production
Coalition (MPC) and members of the House and Senate. The new law puts
Massachusetts in the spotlight as a premiere venue for motion picture
production, and not surprisingly is already garnering projects from motion
picture studios that would not otherwise have come to the Commonwealth.
Upon hearing the news, Mary Ann Hughes, Vice President, Film Production
Planning, Walt Disney Company commented “This law makes Massachusetts
very competitive in attracting film and TV production. We look forward to
doing business in Massachusetts.”

The new law will take effect in 90 days but will be retroactive to January
1, 2006. It’s principal elements include a 20% tax credit on all
Massachusetts source payroll, a 25% tax credit on qualified production
expense in Massachusetts, and a sales tax credit for producers who spend a
minimum aggregate of $250,000 per year in the commonwealth. The law is in
place through the year 2013.

Senator Jim Timilty, key sponsor with Senator Cynthia Creem of the bill in
the Senate, remarked, “It’s very gratifying to sponsor legislation that
actually creates jobs. It’s been my platform, and now it’s being realized
due in large measure to the determination of the production community
represented by the MPC.” Representative Tom O’Brien, chief sponsor of the
bill in the House, reflected “Since actors Marianne and Chris Cooper brought
the need for our state to be more competitive in attracting this industry
back to Massachusetts to my attention, I have worked closely with Speaker
Sal DiMasi, Speaker Pro-Tem Tom Petrolati and the MPC to put our state back
on the map. These efforts will return millions of dollars of lost revenue to
our state economy, revenue that otherwise would have been lost to other
states or other countries.” And Vans Stevenson, Executive Vice President for
Industry Affairs for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA),
specifically thanked motion picture and television director and MPC
Legislative Committee member Sam Weisman for his “perspective and
intelligence in advocating for the final passage of the bill.” Weisman, who
resides in Newton, MA, has directed George of the Jungle and the TV series
Seventh Heaven.

The MPC now sees a great deal of work ahead, most significantly on the
creation of a state sanctioned film office under the Executive Office of
Economic Development. “During our efforts to get the legislation passed in
the past year, the MPC brought together many important industry
stakeholders from both inside and outside of the state, from Massachusetts
based film and video companies to Hollywood studios,” remarked Joe Maiella,
MPC President. “In addition, our coalition represents the interests of the entire
production community. For these reasons, the MPC is in a unique position to
provide the state valuable assistance in the creation of a vibrant and
effective film office.” Chris O’Donnell, IATSE Local 481 business manager and
MPC Legislative Committee Chairman adds, “This new law is going to open
the floodgates for production in Massachusetts, and we have to become very
effective in channeling this new business into our community. The MPC’s sole
agenda is to facilitate production in the commonwealth - and we look
forward to working with the Office of Economic Development to make this the
mission of the new film office as well.”
__________________________________________________________

The Massachusetts Production Coalition (www.massprodcoalition.com) is an
alliance of many of the area’s leading production professionals and related
groups that are actively engaged in making media in Massachusetts - from
independent documentary production to feature films, commercial production
and new media. The volunteer-driven coalition’s mission is to help maintain,
promote, increase and expedite the development, creation and production of
film, video and new media content in the city of Boston and the state of
Massachusetts.

Read the official release from the state house here.