By Dena Seif
MISSISSIPPI—Under new legislation, effective immediately, rebate incentives offered to filmmakers will increase to 20 to 30%, depending on the production’s local spending. The bill also creates an additional 10% rebate on out-of-state worker wages. Although no minimum spend is required, the legislation caps the rebate at $5 million for each individual project.
For more information, visit www.visitmississippi.org/film
WYOMING—The Film Industry Financial Incentive (FIFI) program is a cash rebate program for production companies of up to 15% on dollars spent in the State of Wyoming during a film shoot. The production company would have to spend a minimum amount of $500,000 to qualify and then meet additional criteria to determine the rebate percentage between 12%-15%.
Qualified expenditures generally include, but are not limited to:
- Wages, salaries, or other compensation for technical and production crews, directors, producers, performers and extras who are residents of this state.
- Expenditures on goods and services made in Wyoming for the following, providing that each company which provides goods or services is located and doing business in Wyoming:
- Preproduction, production, post-production, digital media effects services, sets, and set construction.
- Rental equipment, including, but not limited to, cameras and grip or electrical equipment.
- Meals, travel, accommodations, and goods used in producing filmed entertainment that is located and doing business in this state.
Rebate percentage between 12% and 15% based on the following criteria:
- Providing a storyline that is set in Wyoming (full 15% rebate)
- Providing additional Wyoming behind the scenes footage highlighting Wyoming locations used in the project (up to 14% rebate)
- Using Wyoming props and product placement (up to 13% rebate)
- Providing a clear statement in the credits that the product was filmed in Wyoming (minimum 12% rebate)
- Other promotional opportunities that provide Wyoming tourism value could be negotiated to determine rebate percentage.
For the full text of the bill, visit http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2007/Enroll/HB0127.pdf
