Monday, January 07, 2008
Governor Culver Announces New Incentives To Put Iowa's Film Industry Into Action
State Approves Tax Credits for "Sugar" and "Duck Farm No. 13" and Training Funds for the Iowa Motion Picture Association
DES MOINES – Today, Governor Chet Culver announced a $50,000 award for the Iowa Motion Picture Association (IMPA) and two tax credit awards providing state incentives to boost Iowa's growing film industry. For the first time, the state put the Iowa Film, Television and Video Project Promotion Program into action, approving awards for two movie projects filmed in Iowa, "Sugar" and "Duck Farm No. 13." Combined, the two productions spent approximately $1.3 million in Iowa, allowing them to qualify for about $325,000 in tax credits.
“There is one industry that has the ability to not only create new jobs and greater investment in our communities, but create a product that promotes our state to people across the country and around the globe – Iowa’s film industry," said Governor Culver. "Iowa has a lot to offer the film industry and, quite frankly, we want more movies filmed in our state. As a television or motion picture producer with the greatest of expectations, in Iowa, you can find it all. The new film tax credits and training award send a clear signal to Hollywood: Iowa is camera-ready and open for business.”
“You can't underestimate the excitement and the impact that comes from making a movie in Iowa,” said Mike Tramontina, director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. "These films showcase our state and their crews spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in our communities."
IMPA Grant
The $50,000 Targeted Industries Training Program grant for IMPA will be used to train entry level production crew for in-state work and train additional workers to provide sufficient workforce to serve multiple out-of-state projects for location production in Iowa. The IMPA plans to hold five regional trainings and would like to train at least 50 additional workers in early 2008. IMPA also expects to work with Iowa community colleges and OneSource Training on this project.
Iowa Film, Television and Video Project Promotion Program Tax Credits
Sugar, shot primarlily in the Quad Cities in 2007, is receiving pre-release accolades and honors. The film will be featured at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 17-27 in Park City, Utah. 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."
Duck Farm Number 13, shot in McGregor, is a film based on two small town girls and a middle aged woman looking for love in all the wrong places. The cast, crew and setting are distinctly Iowan. Los Angeles based writer-director Becky Smith grew up in Lake Okoboji. Executive Producer Terry Trimpe grew up in eastern Iowa, graduated from Luther College and lives in Lisbon. Hollywood-based producer Joel Sadilek is from Cedar Rapids and a graduate of the University of Iowa. Twelve other Iowans make up the rest of the cast.
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In 2007, the legislature approved and 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.
The Iowa Film Office is part of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. For more, visit the Iowa Film Office's Web site at: http://www.traveliowa.com/film.