Film industry in Michigan moves forward after cuts to incentive program

At todays public meeting in Traverse City, Michigan of the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council, there is hope for the future, but there is still some lingering frustration about the recently revamped film incentives.  At the City Opera House the venue that is being used for this week Traverse City Film Festival, Michigan Film Office director Carrie Jones offered this update.

Jones states, “it’s been a year of learning for us,” she told the audience.  This new learning comes from the shift of an uncapped incentive program to one that has been capped, “at $25 million this year.”  For 2012 there is more then $16 million for this year with an approved for seven projects.  That takes up a substantial chunk of the available money. 
There are three additional projects with roughly $7 million set aside.  In the next few weeks they are expecting some announcements regarding signed agreements from some production companies.  There is $1.25 million that they have set aside for post-production work that they have yet awarded.  Jones is quoted saying there will be, “an effort” launched to reach out to filmmakers.

Advisory Council chair Emery King communicated concerns that this reduction in incentives that was reversing Michigan’s “brain drain” and that they were hoping would persuade young people to stay in the state, these new incentives have pulled the “rug out from under the program.”   Festival founder Michael Moore has concerns and is quoted as saying, “it has been decimated,” about the new incentives.  He also had some things to say that the state has to offer, such as “great locations and great people.