Louisiana Film Tax Credits Produce Record 2008 Growth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 4, 2009 -- These numbers continue to prove that Louisiana is one of the premier filming locations in all of North America. "It's been a great year for us here in Louisiana, and we are very excited about where the industry is headed," said Chris Stelly, head of the state film office.

Louisiana began its film tax program in 2002 with the intention of luring companies to produce their film and television projects in Louisiana. This act, called the Investor Tax Credit – provides a 25% tax credit on qualified Louisiana based production costs over $300,000. The state’s program also created a tax incentive to hire local workers for productions – the Labor Tax Credit – which rewards out of state production companies for hiring and using local workers as much as possible.

The state film office reports that in 2008 alone more than $32 million in incentives were granted. This brings the totals to more than $443 million dating back to the programs origin in 2002. The total impact from film productions in Louisiana in that time is estimated to be in excess of $2 billion, including over $200 million in payroll alone.

Big-Name Movie and TV Productions Completed in 2008

The film and television productions being shot in Louisiana include many notables including:

* "The Open Road" starring Justin Timberlake and Jeff Bridges
* "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" with Michael Douglas and Jesse Metcalfe
* "My Own Love Song" with Renee Zellweger and Forest Whitaker.
* “Welcome to the Rileys" with James Gandolfini and Kristen Stewart
* "The Bad Lieutenant" with Nicholas Cage and
* "I Love You Phillip Morris" with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.

There are several notable projects on slate for 2009 including the HBO original series “Treme” which will be shot in one of New Orleans historic neighborhoods and will look at the city’s music scene. The state film office is also working to attract advertising production, digital video gaming projects and music and sound recording projects. Louisiana now has six studios and soundstages in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with at least one more on the way.

Production Company Support from FBT Film

FBT Film and Entertainment provides a full range of services for film producers looking to maximize their “Louisiana spend” on qualifying productions made in state. FBT Film has offices in New Orleans and Los Angeles as well as unique partnerships with Raleigh Films and Media Services. These partnerships allow FBT to offer film tax credits, financing, payroll and even post production. Call 504-584-5888 in Louisiana, 310-472-8750 in Los Angeles, or visit www.fbtfilm.com for more information.

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