AUGUSTA — A new bill in the 128th Legislature is seeking to promote economic development in Maine through the art of filmmaking.

The bill — LD 1450, “An Act To Promote Workforce Development and Provide an Economic Stimulus for Maine-based Filmmakers and Supporting Businesses” — is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Susan Deschambault of Biddeford, and is designed to enhance and strengthen the visual media production certification process, reimbursement and credit for movies made in Maine.
 
The bill specifies that a visual media production expense must be for pre-production, production and post-production work performed in Maine.

It also increases the cap on wages that can be included as a visual media production expense to $75,000 per individual; increases the reimbursement rates for production and wage costs to 25 percent, making Maine more competitive with other states’ reimbursement rates; repeals the certified visual media production tax credit and caps reimbursement of expenses at $750,000; and specifies that a person claiming the Pine Tree Development Zone tax credit is not eligible to get the visual media production reimbursement.
 
Deschambault said she wants to increase incentives for movies to be made in Maine as a way of boosting local economic activity.

The bill is modeled after a successful filming incentive program in New Mexico, a release from Deschambault’s office said. That program, according to Deschambault, generated between 2,500 and 4,000 above-average wage jobs between 2010 and 2014, 74 percent of which went to New Mexico residents.

The productions created there also spent $514 million procuring local goods and services.

Deschambault said she saw first-hand the results of the movie, “Holly Star,” being filmed in the Biddeford area as its production boosted local business.

“Last year I met filmmakers who had just finished shooting a movie in the Biddeford area. One of the filmmakers loved being here so much that he’s now living and raising his family here,” Deschambault said. “Work on the movie gave carpenters, electricians and other workers from the area new work that they’d never done before; work they want to do again.”
 
“Holly Star” producer Erik Van Wyck spoke in favor of the bill.
 
“A film reimbursement program is no different than subsidizing any other business through corporate tax incentives,” he said “At the moment, Maine’s incentive program is one of the least competitive in the country. This bill would make Maine more competitive as a filming location.”
 
In December, Van Wyck said part of the reason Biddeford and other parts of York County were chosen to film “Holly Star” was because there’s more passion for the craft of filmmaking here than other places, and he’d love to see a boom in film production in Maine.

“I’m definitely having more fun putting a film together here,” he said at the time. “In California, they’ve lost the meaning of why I do this in the first place. There are a lot of artists out here … we’re hoping doing a film like this really kickstarts a movement.”

A release from Deschambault’s office said a number of films could have potentially been shot in the state, but a lack of incentives cost Maine the bid.

Among them, “The Mist,” by author Stephen King is set in Maine but the film was shot in Louisiana because of its more-substantial incentive program. “Tumbledown,” while set in Maine, was shot in Massachusetts and “Charlotte’s Web,” despite the crew’s desire to shoot here, filmed in Australia and Pennsylvania.

Dan Stevenson, Biddeford’s director of economic development, voiced his support for the bill.

“Important considerations for communities in long-term, sustainable growth is attracting investment that contributes to a diversified tax base, expands and retains existing businesses and increases job growth and payroll in the economy,” Stevenson said. “This bill would help Maine reach these important goals.”
 
The bill still faces further action in the Taxation Committee and votes in the state House and the Senate.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.