Washington woos prod'n

Bill would create fund to reimburse pix as much as 20%

By DON TOWNSON

A bill that will return up to $1 million per project to film and TV producers will be introduced in the Washington state Legislature in January in an attempt to woo filmmakers away from Canada.

Backed by Seattle industry execs, bill would establish a fund to reimburse as much as 20% of the coin spent shooting in the state.

The fund would consist of cash contributions from hotels and other businesses across the state that would benefit from production expenditures, in exchange for tax breaks from the government.

If passed the legislation could attract service work from Hollywood now going across the border to British Columbia, which is expected to have film and TV production revenues of more than C$1 billion ($860 million) this year despite the rising Canadian dollar.

Washington's film and TV production revenues have tumbled to about $13 million annually from more than $50 million in the 1990s, primarily because of lower costs and more developed infrastructure in  B.C.

Adding insult to injury, a number of recent films set in Seattle were shot in B.C. These include "Agent Cody Banks," "Saving Silverman" and  "A Guy Thing."

"We're optimistic that the bill will reinvigorate industry here," said Jim Baker, publisher of Media Index Publishing Group in Seattle, a member of the Washington Entertainment Industry Assn., which helped draft the bill. "It won't put us on an equal footing with B.C. but it will help."

Production in British Columbia has surged since January, when the province upped labor tax credits from 11% to 18% for foreign productions.

These temporary tax credits expire in March, and so far the provincial government has not announced that it will renew them or the 30% labor tax credits for domestic productions.

Passage of the Washington state bill, plus new financial incentives already in place in Oregon and Montana, would help lobbyists here get the B.C. incentives renewed.

Contracts in British Columbia for three major unions repping crews, performers and directors expire in April, which could also affect runaway production headed for B.C.