Originally posted on the WFLA website:
WFLA News Channel 8
Proponents of a Florida House bill say the state is missing out on millions in revenue to our neighbors. Legislators prepare to discuss House Bill 451 this week. The measure would provide tax incentives for films shot in Florida.
“We’ve got Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia who are providing all these great incentives and we see like “Jurassic World” was filmed there. The new “Fantastic Four” was filmed out in that area. “The Hunger Games,” all that there. So we should have a lot of that too,” film director Jason Henne said. Henne is currently directing “Crazy Lake,” which is filming now in Hernando County.
“Obviously the biggest examples are the two ‘Dolphin Tale’ movies that have shot here over the years, and you can see just how much money they’ve spent when they’re filming the production here. And then on the tourism side of if you see the impact they have in promoting the destination as well,” St. Petersburg-Clearwater Film Commission commissioner Tony Armer Commissioner said. “We can see a lot more money being spent, instead of speeding 8 days or a week or something here, they’ll shoot for 2 or 3 or 4 weeks in the area which obviously has a greater impact.”
But opponents are also vocal.
“Money is drained from general revenue that would otherwise be there, and Florida has less money at its disposal for the important work of governance,” Americans for Prosperity deputy state director Skylar Zander said.
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