Friday, October 05, 2007
Governor And First Lady To Attend "Final Season" Premiere in Cedar Rapids
Governor Pushes for “More Movies Filmed in Our State”
DES MOINES — This Sunday, Governor Chet Culver and First Lady Mari Culver will attend the Iowa premiere of “The Final Season” starring Iowa native Tom Arnold and Sean Austin.
The “Final Season” is a movie based on the real-life story of the 1991 Norway High School baseball team. The movie is scheduled to open on more than 1,000 screens on October 12.
“This movie has received rave reviews and Mari and I are excited to attend the Iowa premiere,” said Governor Culver. “Our state has produced some terrific movies in the past, and it looks like we’ll be able to add ‘The Final Season’ to the list. Iowa has a lot to offer the film industry and, quite frankly, we want more movies filmed in our state. With the new film tax credits I signed into law earlier this year, we sent a clear signal to Hollywood that Iowa is open for business and they should think of us as the location for future films.”
In May of 2007, Governor Culver signed HF 892, which is designed to promote and develop Iowa’s film industry. An important part of the Culver/Judge Administration’s economic vision, this legislation provides producers and investors a 25 percent tax break on the expenses they incur while filming in Iowa’s communities, based on expenditures above $100,000.
Since HF 892 was signed into law, two future films have used the tax credits:
- Sugar: This baseball movie centers on a fictional Dominican baseball player named Miguel "Sugar" Santos who, after watching Field of Dreams, is inspired to make his way into minor league baseball. He lands in Iowa to play for the Swing of the Quad Cities. One of the film's producers, Jeremy Kipp Walker, was a co-producer for "Half Nelson,’’ and worked on the film "Maria Full of Grace.’’ Scenes were filmed in the Quad Cities.
- Duck Farm Number 13: It's a film based on two small town girls and a middle aged woman looking for love in all the wrong places. Casting directors are hand-picking local actors to play small roles in the film. The shoot will be in and around McGregor starting October 14th.
For more information about film in Iowa, visit www.traveliowa.com/film or contact Iowa Film Office Manager Tom Wheeler at filmiowa@iowalifechanging.com.