Group Works To Boost Film Incentives In Indiana

The Heartland Film Festival kicked off its 23rd year Thursday, just as a new push to make sure Indiana isn’t missing out on other film opportunities begins to emerge. 

Robert Downey Jr. made a surprise appearance in Indianapolis earlier this month for a Heartland Film Fest advance screening of the Warner Brothers film "The Judge."  That movie is set in a fictional town in Indiana but producers chose to shoot the film in Massachusetts where they offer a 25 percent tax credit on production expenses.

The Indiana legislature allowed the state’s film tax credits to expire in 2011, making it one of 12 states without the incentive. As a result, says Katherine Segal, the Vice President of Outreach for the Indiana Media Production Alliance, Indiana is losing out.

"Ten to twenty thousand jobs that are being created and not just above the line producers, directors, actors," says Segal. "They're talking about all the support businesses with the increase in economic activity happening becasue you're getting food service and transportation and lodging and construction."

Her group works to grow Indiana’s media and film industry in the state, and during the coming legislative session, it plans to lobby for a 30 percent refundable tax credit – which is competitive with perks in neighboring states.

The group is also proposing an additional 5 percent rebate if shooting happens in an economically depressed area.  Segal says the goal is to set up an environment that’s ready to film.

"Then the productions will come, the infrastructure is set up, the work happens, the incentives build the foundation and then you go from production to production," explains Segal.

The measure would include production of industrials, corporate videos, reality television and commercials not just feature films.  Segal says Indiana stands to make tens of millions of dollars every year.