San Diego County Supervisors Advance Proposed Film Initiative Program – Patch

San Diego County Supervisors Advance Proposed Film Initiative Program  Patch

The board's vote comes at a time of growing concern over film productions moving out of California. SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego County government is advancing its plan to bolster film production opportunities in the region, following a recent vote by the Board of Supervisors. Supervisors during their Tuesday meeting unanimously supported the first steps towards creating the"San Diego County Film Initiative," featuring a nonprofit Regional Film Office. According to a board letter, the office would "serve as a single regional point of contact for productions, coordinating across jurisdictions and promoting the region, as well as administering the production rebate program, tracking metrics and developing annual reports." The office would feature a 15 member commission representing all supervisorial districts, key jurisdictions, tribal nations and industry sectors.

Also proposed is an annual $1.5 million production rebate program, as an accompaniment to California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program 4.0. Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton and staff will return in 90 days with an ordinance formally establishing the program. Last April, Supervisors directed Shelton to craft the film initiative proposal. Over the past few decades, San Diego County has been a location for blockbuster and critically acclaimed movies such as "Almost Famous," "One Battle After Another," "Top Gun" and "Traffic." The popular TV shows "Simon and Simon" and "Veronica Mars" were