There will be lots of lights, cameras, and action for Arizona in the near future.
While California has been home to the film industry for many years, a new incentive has been in the works to try and attract more business and allow more film companies to produce here with ease.
“The Legislature finally was able to come together and recognize that Arizona is a wonderful state for filming, and that it was an industry that Arizona should be courting,” said Chris LaMont, a clinical assistant professor at The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at Arizona State University. “ It’s a very exciting time for the industry, because this industry has been trying to get film incentives back on the books since 2010.”
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) has been working closely with the new film incentive law that was passed by the Legislature.
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“The law requires that ACA implements and oversees that program,” said Patrick Ptak, Senior Vice President of Executive Initiatives at ACA. “Because it’s a new program, we have to go through the process of establishing rules and building the program from the ground up.”
Arizona isn’t the only state where the film industry has been expanding to. New Mexico has been making significant strides with its film industries. Earlier this year, Netflix has continued its expansion with Albuquerque Studios and over $1 billion has been invested so far.
“New Mexico is the king and Louisiana and Georgia also have some great incentives. One of the things that Arizona needs to do is to actually be filming at Arizona-based studios as well to qualify for tax credit,” said LaMont. “What this incentive for Arizona is going to do is help spur infrastructure building by buying these independent companies building soundstages that will help compete with New Mexico.”
The new film incentive will have a massive impact on the economy and the overall appeal for people to start moving their projects to Arizona. The incentive is a tiered system that is based on how much money a film maker spends in the state and how much it will earn from the the production. These tax credits could boast the state’s standing in the film industry.
“When no one had tax credits, we were the third largest destination in the country. At one point it was Los Angeles, New York and Tucson. That slowly got eroded by other people in the industry, and other states offering tax credits,” said Matthew Earl Jones, the Director of ACA’s Film and Digital Media Program. “We dropped out of the market and we were gone for six years. Neighboring states took advantage of our not being a player, but I think you are seeing now that we’ve had a remarkable response since.”
While this incentive creates a lot of opportunities for the state, it also opens a lot of doors for directors and producers in terms of filming locations.
“We have the most diverse topography in the country. You can have snow in the winter in Flagstaff and come down and it’s like spring here in Scottsdale. We also made a deal with the Navajo Nation, so for the first time in Arizona’s history, we’ve really opened up a joint effort to really help them promote their land,” Jones said. “We also made a deal with the state of Sonora, Mexico, in 2019. So, In addition to importing jobs, asking you to bring your project from California for the first time in Arizona’s history, we have the opportunity of exporting our expertise to Northern Mexico.”
Arizona has the resources and the ability to house bigger production agencies. With this newfound capability, there are also lots of economic growth opportunities.
“It’s not about the states. It’s about the people, equipment and the infrastructure here and spurring a new opportunity for business. When you’re talking about New Mexico, it’s a great example, right? In 2021, New Mexico saw $624 million spent by production,” said LaMont. “So can Arizona get to that point? Gosh, wouldn’t that be awesome? But we’re playing catch up and this is the first step in attracting Hollywood features and television shows to come here.”
There is a lot in store for the future of film in Arizona. From creating job opportunities to the amount of money going to be spent on production, Arizona as a whole will be able to benefit from this venture.
“As someone who is a film commissioner and was a producer and grew up in an industry family, let me say I think it’s a great thing. I mean, there’s an incredible economic impact,” Jones said. . “Film I think not only is good for the entire state, but in some of our more rural areas, we have some most beautiful locations and in our tribal communities, I think we can be a big contributor to the economy in those areas, because we’re one of the main resources and industries that goes into the rural environment.”
