The Film Tax Credit Works, and Western Pennsylvania is a Winner

Courtesy of the Entertainment Economy Institute / June 2012:
Post-Gazette.com
Christopher Breakwell
April 10, 2012

While the city of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania are generally no strangers to the film and television industry, recent years have seen a massive increase in the visibility of production in the region.

This is thanks, in no small part, to the dedication of Gov. Tom Corbett (and Gov. Ed Rendell before him) and the General Assembly to the Pennsylvania Film Tax Credit Program. Support for the program ensures that filmmakers and television producers will continue to produce films and television shows in Western Pennsylvania, and that Pittsburgh and the entire commonwealth will continue to remain competitive in attracting major films and television shows to the region for years to come.

The governor's inclusion of a $60 million appropriation for the film tax credit in his 2012-13 budget proposal signals his intention to renew support for this important program, and the General Assembly must follow Mr. Corbett's lead and include it in the final budget.

While the film tax credit does offer visible public relations benefits -- major motion pictures such as "Unstoppable," "Love and Other Drugs," "The Next Three Days" and "One Shot" have been filmed in the region in recent years -- the program offers tangible benefits as well and has been responsible for economic growth in the region. Since the program's inception, nearly $242.5 million in state tax credits have been approved and/or awarded to film production companies, which has resulted in estimated total economic activity of $1.8 billion and the creation and sustaining of almost 14,500 jobs statewide.

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