Spokane Film Project and Washington Filmworks are urging state residents in the motion picture and television industry, as well as those who support such media projects, to sign-in for bill HB 1914 ahead of its first hearing before the House Committee on Community & Economic Development, Tuesday, January 25th.
Two bills have been introduced before the Washington State House of Representatives and Senate this year to increase funding for motion picture, television, and digital content projects. Senate Bill 5760 increases funding for the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program to $25 million annually – $6.5 million to be specifically allocated to filming projects in rural areas. In a similar move, House Bill 1914 asks for an increase to $20 million annually.
The Motion Picture Competitiveness Program provides funding for qualified film, television, commercial, and digital projects taking place in Washington. This funding helps bring larger and more long-term projects to the state, which can boost employment and the economy in the areas where they are being filmed.
Spokane was home to the majority of production on SyFy series “Z Nation” from 2014 to 2018. According to the Department of Commerce, over 120 state residents were employed per series episode, and over 500 businesses benefited from the production taking place in their areas. In 2022, two major motion pictures were filmed in the Spokane region – Boon, starring Neal McDonough, and Dreamin’ Wild, starring Walton Goggins and Zooey Deschanel – bringing business to rental companies, hotels, production facilities, manufacturers, and retailers. Much of the crew for both films was made up of Washington residents – including assistant directors, property masters, special effects coordinators, and location managers from Spokane.
Many states have raised their film incentive funding in the last few years, seeking to attract more projects to their areas. The Motion Picture Competitiveness Program for Washington State looks to do the same. The Program was renewed in 2017 for ten years, but with the growth of the media content industry as well as a changed economy, supporters of HB 1914 and SB 5760 believe the funding available through the program must be raised to be competitive with what other states are offering.
The first hearing for SB 5760 was held on Tuesday, January 18th. The first hearing for HB 1914 will be held Tuesday, January 25th, at 10am. Washington Filmworks and Spokane Film Project ask that film supporters sign in favor of HB 1914 before the hearing begins.
For more information on how to support SB 5760 and HB 1914, as well as the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program, visit the Washington Filmworks, Spokane Film Project, and Keep Film in WA websites.
