Come Oct. 1, 2016 Michigan’s film incentives that generated revenues of $1.3 billion against a cost of $450 million since 2008, when the incentives were instituted, will be a thing of the past.
The Michigan Film Office, one of the nation’s oldest, founded in 1979, will go out of business.
Although the budget that was approved last week by the Legislature included $25 million for film incentives, a Senate Committee passed a bill by a 3-2 vote that will end incentives at the start of the 2017 fiscal year.
The film office, headed by Jenell Leonard, is housed in the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and has a $400,000 budget that pays for a five-person staff.
Said Mark Adler, director of the Michigan Film Alliance, “The production community in general is outraged, especially after our continuing work to find ways to work with the legislature on preserving the film incentives and “building another revenue stream” through filmmaking.
Hopwood DePree, of Holland, founder of the Waterfront Film Festival, producer and director who worked in Hollywood for years, called ending the film office “short sighted.”
“It’s not about the incentive,” he said. “It’s about something much bigger than that. Whether there’s an incentive or not there needs to be someone to guide the state moving forward,” Michigan Live reported.
Grand Rapids filmmaker/screenwriter Deb Havens called the cut “a stunning example of the contempt the legislature holds for this industry.”
West Michigan Film Commissioner Rick Hert said the action would thwart “millions of dollars” of productions he’s working to bring to West Michigan in the next year, features to TV shows and corporate projects.”
Incentives proponent, Democrat House Minority Leader Tim Greimel, said the incentives have provided one of the best showcases for Michigan’s treasures.
“Through the very modest $50 million, we receive hundreds of millions of commercial advertising value in terms of showcasing the great treasures our state has to offer, as well as media attention to the state,” he said. “The advertising and marketing is nearly priceless.”
When Michigan actor Jeff Daniels was asked about the fate of Michigan’s program, he said, “All those jobs went to Georgia,” the Detroit Free Press reported.
