California
Indie Films Are Increasingly Getting Tax Credits to Shoot in California as Features Flee
Amid a historic production slump in California, independent films are increasingly being tapped to receive tax credits to shoot in the state.
Of the 48 titles selected to receive filming subsidies, only five are feature films, announced the California Film Commission on Monday. They account for roughly an even split of the $96 million in tax credits that the state is allocating this round, down from years past when they made up a larger share of the total allotment.
The rising frequency of independent films qualifying for California’s film and TV incentive program reflects a broader trend in which big-budget, studio films are opting to shoot in states and countries with cheaper labor that give more subsidies to host Hollywood. The U.K. has become a favored destination, owing its popularity to allowing above-the-line costs, like pay for directors and actors, to qualify, among other reasons.
This shift led to Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year moving to more than double the amount California gives to productions per year, from $330 million to $750 million a year. It’s an aggressive bid to revitalize filming across the state after it was decimated by the strikes and curb the yearslong flight of production away from the region. Details are still being ironed out.
“California didn’t earn its role as the heart of the entertainment world by accident — it was built over generations by skilled workers and creative talent pushing boundaries,” Newsom said in a statement. “Today’s awards help ensure this legacy continues, keeping cameras rolling here at home, supporting thousands of crew members behind the scenes and boosting local economies that depend on a strong film and television industry.”
In total, the titles are expected to generate $664 million in spending across the state. They’re projected to hire roughly 6,500 cast and crew, as well as 32,000 background performers, all of whom will be paid more than $302 million in wages. California, unlike other states, utilizes a jobs ratio ranking that accounts for wages to below-the-line workers to select productions that will receive tax credits.
This round of tax credits is headlined by an untitled Netflix title that will get $20 million in tax incentives for $106 million in qualified spending. Another major studio feature: the sequel for Sony Pictures’ One of Them Days, which highlights Los Angeles as a backdrop for the production and will get $8 million in subsidies.
Other major studios chosen to receive incentives this round include Warner Bros. Pictures for Blow Up the Chat and Twentieth Century Studios for Bell, which will get $6.9 million and $4.5 million in credits, respectively.
“This industry is core to California’s creative economy and keeping production here at home is more important than ever,” said Colleen Bell, director of the California Film Commission, 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.”
A record 51 films were tapped to receive tax credits in the last round announced in March, the highest number of titles selected in a single round of the state’s film and TV incentive program. They included a slate of 46 independent movies, which accounted for roughly $43 million of the total $101 million distributed.
In the round announced on Monday, feature films accounted for slightly more than half of the total allotment, with $48.4 million of $96 million.
Of the 48 productions selected, 22 of them will shoot a large chunk outside the L.A., including Ventura County (Make A Wish, The Teller, Things We Cannot Touch), San Francisco and the Bay Area (High Priestess of Souls, Our Kind of Cruelty), El Dorado and Placer Counties (Gold Mountain), San Bernardino and Riverside Counties (Superbloom, The Heidi Fleiss Story), Bakersfield in Kern County (Counting by 7s) and coastal communities such as Half Moon Bay and Costa Mesa (Sponsor, Doll). There’s a five percent bump for filming in out-of-zone regions. Fifth Season’s Gold Mountain plans to film primarily outside of L.A.
See the full California Film Commission list of productions that were selected to receive tax credits here.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The California Highway Patrol is urging drivers to stay focused on the road as they head out for Fourth of July celebrations.
The holiday weekend can be a dangerous time on our roads as millions of drivers are expected to travel.
CHP Officer Jorge Toro joined Eyewitness News Mornings to share how drivers can stay safe behind the wheel.
Officer Toro also highlighted the importance of sober driving over the holiday.
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He says anyone hosting a party should make sure all of their guests get home safely, ensuring anyone who may be impaired doesn’t drive.
California is returning a stretch of rugged Mendocino County coast to the Indigenous nations whose ancestors once stewarded its shores.
State transportation officials recently approved the transfer of Blues Beach and the surrounding bluffs to Kai Poma, a nonprofit founded by representatives of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Round Valley Indian Tribes and Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
The transfer of 136 acres just south of the community of Westport will mark the first time land managed by the California Department of Transportation has been returned to Indigenous tribes.
“This is beyond huge,” said J. Carlos Rivera, tribal chairman of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians. “It’s enormous from our tribal perspective that we are basically obtaining the land that our people once lived on before colonization.”
California purchased the swath of rocky cliffs and windswept shoreline in the 1960s to expand the construction of Highway 1 and create a scenic viewpoint for highway travelers, according to a California Coastal Commission report.
More recently, public access has been largely unregulated, and summer weekends and holidays have drawn large groups who camp and party on the beach, at times driving through sensitive areas, damaging cultural sites and leaving behind trash, the report states.
Kai Poma plans to conduct cultural and archaeological resource studies and environmental surveys and then prepare a resource management plan for the property, according to planning documents. The nonprofit and the Coastal Commission have drafted a public access management plan that states the land will be open from sunrise to sunset.
Rivera described the entire property as a sacred site. The coastal waters are used by tribal people for seaweed and abalone gathering, and the shores host youth cultural camps, he said. “Protecting the land, it has a deeper meaning for us because we’re connected to the land,” he said.
The effort to acquire the land took years — and required a change in state law. Caltrans lacked the ability to transfer land to tribal governments until 2021, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill sponsored by state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) that enabled the transfer, according to a news release issued at the time. The law also bars commercial activity on the property and requires public access be maintained.
“With 136 acres now officially transferred into tribal stewardship, one of the most spectacular stretches of the Mendocino Coast will be forever protected,” McGuire said in a statement.
“This agreement, the first of its kind in California, gives these three dynamic Native American tribes the rightful opportunity to reclaim sacred lands and cultural traditions on this special piece of earth. And it’s about damn time.”
The land transfer cleared its last regulatory hurdle June 26 with the approval by the California Transportation Commission, said Neil Thapar, an attorney who works as an advisor and legal consultant to Kai Poma. Caltrans staff will next record the deed transferring the title from the state of California to Kai Poma, which is expected to happen any day, he said.
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With July 4 falling on a Saturday this year, many businesses and organizations are taking the day off Friday, July 3, to mark America’s 250th birthday. From banking to mail service, here’s what’s open and closed for the holiday weekend.
Most federal offices closed, mail service to continue
Non-essential federal offices will be closed on July 3. However, mail service will continue as normal, and post offices are scheduled to remain open.
Most California government offices to remain open
Most California government offices will be open on July 3, with some exceptions.
DMV offices throughout the state will be open. However, the Employment Development Department will be closed.
DMV offices that offer Saturday hours will be closed on July 4.
Private parcel services to remain open
UPS and FedEx are both scheduled to operate normally on July 3, but will suspend service on July 4.
Stock markets closed
Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be closed on July 3.
Most banks to stay open
While most banks were expected to operate normally on July 3, some may operate under modified holiday hours. All banks will be closed on July 4.
Online banking services should remain operational.
Grocery stores
Most major grocery chains will be open on both July 3 and July 4. Trader Joe’s locations will be open for regular business on July 3 but will close early at 5 p.m. on the Fourth of July.
Retailers
Many major retail stores, such as Walmart and Target, plan to operate under normal business hours on both July 3 and 4. All Costco warehouse stores operate under normal business hours on July 3, but will close on July 4.
Restaurants
Most major restaurant chains remain open on July 4, but some will have limited hours. All Raising Cane’s locations will close on July 4.
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