Workers at Cinecittà Studios in Rome are protesting against development plans. Executives want to spend EUR175 million on a hotel and spa, as well as a separate studio-inspired theme park, but workers are concerned it could affect their jobs.
New York State has expanded its post-production incentive and will reward projects doing the work outside New York City. Filmmakers can now access a 30% tax credit on post work done in the city – a 10% increase – and the credit grows to 35% if they get it done elsewhere in the state.
Wales has been picked as a double for Italy in new TV show Da Vinci’s Demons. A co-production between BBC Worldwide Productions and cable network Starz Entertainment, the show is produced by David S Goyer, who played a key role developing Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.
Puerto Rico has officially expanded its location filming incentive package with a 20% tax credit for non-resident talent, as well as measures to encourage infrastructure development. Positioned in the north-eastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico is an unincorporated US territory.
A conservative organisation in North Carolina has criticised the state’s location filming incentive programme. Governor Bev Perdue has officially extended the incentive as Iron Man 3 films in the state, but the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh has condemned it as “corporate welfare”.
Ian entered the film industry as an Assistant Cameraman and then an Assistant Director and he’s worked in commercials, features and documentaries around the world. His work has focused on the Rocky Mountain region of the US for more than 20 years.
New Mexico has seen a sharp fall in the size of its location filming rebate payments over the past year. It’s being blamed variously on a wider industry trend and a period of uncertainty with the state’s filming tax credit that resulted in the annual film fund being reduced to USD50 million.
Colombia has approved a generous new cash rebate to boost location filming in the region. Under the new programme eligible projects will get a 40% return on costs incurred in the country. They’ll also be able to claim a 20% rebate on transport costs when Colombian companies are hired.