More than half of 48 new film projects awarded California tax credits are expected to shoot in the Los Angeles area, with the full slate projected to generate $664 million in production spending statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday.
The governor said that 43 of these projects are independent films. Altogether, the films are expected to hire 6,515 cast and crew members, as well as 32,000 background performers (measured in days worked), across 1,346 total film days.
While more than half of the projects are set to film in the L.A. area, the remaining projects will shoot in other parts of California, including Ventura County, San Francisco and the Bay Area, El Dorado and Placer counties, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, as well as Bakersfield, Half Moon Bay and Costa Mesa.
This is the ninth allocation in the 2024-25 fiscal year that tax credits have been awarded to a slate of film projects in California, according to the governor’s office.
“This industry is core to California’s creative economy and keeping production at home is more important than ever,” Colleen Bell, director of the California Film Commission, said in a statement.
“This round of tax credits shows our commitment to supporting both indie and studio productions while spreading the economic benefits of filming across the state.”
Among the highlights of this round are five major studio features, including Sony Pictures’ “One of Them Days” sequel, produced by Issa Rae, which alone is projected to spend more than $39 million in California.
“Los Angeles was an essential backdrop to ‘One of Them Days’ and we are thrilled that Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) will embark on another authentic escapade throughout the city’s streets in the sequel through the California’s Film and Television Tax Credit,” Nicole Brown, president of TriStar Pictures, said in a statement.
Six independent films with budgets over $10 million — including “Gold Mountain,” “The Teller” and “They Follow” — will shoot outside the L.A. area; and 37 independent projects with budget of $10 million or less.
Although California has offered film production tax credits since 2009, the industry has faced back-to-back setbacks in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dual writers’ and actors’ strikes, and increased competition from other states and countries.
State officials are working to expand the Film and Television Tax Credit Program, which, if approved, would increase funding from $330 million to $750 million and position California among the nation’s top states for capped film incentive programs.
The state is expected to accept television applications for the tax credit from July 7-9, and once again for film projects from Aug. 25-27. More information on application dates and deadlines are available at film.ca.gov/tax-credit/application/.