Utah Film Incentives Not Sufficient to Compete in Hollywood?

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(KCPW News) Two years ago, Utah began offering cash rebates to film companies that shoot in the Beehive State. Since then, four million dollars in incentives have resulted in more than 40 films and 53 million dollars for Utah's economy. But the incentive caps out at 500-thousand dollars per film, and local filmmaker Jeff Miller says that's not enough to attract big budget movies.

"If I have a 10 or 15 million dollar film, is that half a million dollars enough for me to pay attention to? That's the big question," says Miller. "If I have something that's five million dollars or less, absolutely you're going to come for that half a million dollars."

About 43 states offer film incentives and many of them are more generous than Utah's. Last week, state officials boosted the film rebate from ten cents to fifteen cents for every dollar a production spends in Utah. The money goes quickly.

Utah Film Commission Director Marshall Moore says half of the state's four-million dollar incentive budget is already committed for the fiscal year which began July first. Without more money for incentives, Moore worries the state will lose its base of qualified crew:

"Our crews are so experienced and qualified, that when they're not working here, they're going to work somewhere else," says Moore. "If we're not keeping them in the state, they know people that work in Los Angeles or other states because they're so good at what they do."

Moore estimates the local economy gets eleven dollars back for every one it spends on rebates for film companies. The industry's impact on tourism is also growing.

Moore says high-profile films like "High School Musical" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" have spawned a cottage industry of tourists visiting spots where key scenes were filmed.

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