A San Francisco leader has proposed expanding the city's film and television tax incentives to attract more production to the Bay Area.
Board President Raphael Mandelman introduced legislation Tuesday that would create a tiered rebate system based on local spending on items such as San Franciscans' wages, services or goods.
To qualify, most producers must spend at least $500,000 in the city and conduct at least five days of principal photography there. These productions also receive a 100% discount on city agency fees, including permits and police services.
Then, under the new proposal, those projects would be able to recoup 10% of the first $1 million spent in San Francisco, and then 20% of any qualifying local spending on top of that, said Manijeh Fata, executive director of the San Francisco Film Commission.
“As communities across the state compete to attract more film production, San Francisco must stay in the game,” Mandelman said in a statement. “Strengthening our film incentive program will preserve jobs in San Francisco and help ensure that this important economic activity does not bypass us.”
The bill is expected to go to committee hearings next month, and a final vote could come in late January or early February, Fata said.
Although San Francisco's manufacturing incentive program was introduced in 2006, the program is “underutilized,” said Supervisor Connie Chan, who co-authored the bill.
“I support this legislative update so that we can ensure that the original intent and benefits of the program can be fully realized,” she said in a statement. “I expect the film rebate program will provide workers with reliable employment opportunities, creatively promote our city through films that will promote tourism and increase sales tax revenue through film industry spending.”
San Francisco stimulus proposal arrives five months after California increased the cap on the government's film and television tax credit program. in an attempt to curb rampant production to other states and countries.
California now allocates $750 million annually to the program, up from $330 million. Lawmakers also expanded the list of works eligible to qualify for the credit.
Since then, more than three dozen television programs have been released, including the Baywatch rebootAnd 52 films tax breaks were provided.
