FILM TAX CREDITS
The tax credits movies received to film in the Hamilton/Cincinnati area:
“Carol” — $2,905,301.57
“Tiger” — $701,285.73
“The Echo Effect” — $322,611.29
“Miles Ahead” — $1,927,518.54
“The Long Home” — Still undergoing audit and review process
Source: Stephanie Gostomski, Ohio Development Services Agency
CHANGES IN OHIO LAW
A change in Ohio law raises the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit budget for Fiscal Year 2017, which begins July 1.
- The total annual amount of tax credits available under the program will be $40 million.
- All eligible expenditures will be credited at 30 percent. Previously, eligible expenses were credited at 25 percent or 35 percent.
- There is no per project cap. Previously, there had been a $5 million per project cap on tax credits.
- Credits are refundable. They become transferable as well.
Source: Office of Ohio Gov. John Kasich
Following the success of four films made in Hamilton in the past two years, a fifth film is now being scheduled to be produced locally, according to Film Hamilton Director Steve Colwell.
The next film coming to the area is still in the planning stages, Colwell told the Journal-News, adding it will have a similar financial impact as previous movies filmed in the city.
“We were contacted by the producers to recommend some crew and we will be meeting at the studio next week with the producers,” Colwell said.
With a reputation for being accommodating for film crews, Hamilton gets plenty of looks from producers looking for a good location to make their movies, according to Colwell.
“We are getting visits all of the time from producers,” he said. “That doesn’t mean they all select Hamilton as a location obviously, but at least we know they are seriously scouting us as a possible location.”
The announcement comes at the same time Gov. John Kasich has signed a revised Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit increase that will raise the available annual tax credits from $20 million to $40 million for movies to be made in Ohio.
Since the inception of the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Incentive program in 2009, the statewide economic impact because of the film industry has been $400 million, according to Kristen Schlotman, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission.
The new law for the tax incentive program removes the $5 million per project cap and changes the incentive rate to a flat 30 percent on all production dollars spent in Ohio, according to Kasich’s office.
The movies “Carol,” “Tiger,” “The Long Home” and “The Echo Effect” were all filmed in the Hamilton area.
“Carol” received $2.9 million through the incentive program for shooting scenes in Lebanon, Hamilton and Cincinnati.
Liz Hayden, of Hamilton’s Economic Development Office, said movies have a positive fiscal impact locally.
“The Long Home,” based on what the state tax credit was filed for, brought in $350,000 locally and for Ohio.
The other films fall in the same economic impact range, according to Hayden.
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