Colorado Film Commission to Revamp Incentives for Film Productions

As the newly appointed Director at the Colorado Film Commission, Donald Zuckerman may revamp some Mile High movie appeal. Tax incentives are all the rage as the great exodus from Hollywood saw productions migrate north to Vancouver, Canada. Though, the exodus trickled state-side with New Mexico, Utah, Michigan and Wyoming offering higher incentives to productions.

Now, according to Jason Blevin's recent Denver Post article, legislation in 17 states will scale back film production incentives. That won't happen in Colorado if Zuckerman can help it and his bonds with Governor Hickenlooper are thick. Zuckerman was actually a producer on several of George Hickenlooper's films, like "Casino Jack," "Hick Town," "Mayor of the Sunset Strip," and "The Man from Elysian Fields."

George Hickenlooper sadly passed away in November of 2010, just days before "Casino Jack" premiered at the Denver Film Festival. George and John Hickenlooper were once long, lost cousins until the Denver Film Festival brought the director here. This was back when John Hickenlooper was still brewing his ambitions at Wynkoop. Now his seat in the Governor's chair has opened up some doors for Zuckerman to invite film production to Colorado.

Apparently, Colorado has the oldest state film commission in the U.S., but can hardly boast any claims of production activity. With just a smattering of productions in Colorado, few major films have graced the state's plethora of visual opportunity. The current incentive for filmmakers to bring productions to Colorado sits at a 10 percent rebate. Compared to the 25 percent rebate in states like New Mexico and even as high as 42 percent in Michigan; Colorado hardly registers on a producer's radar.

There are more movie screens per capita in Colorado than anywhere else in the country. Coloradans love easy access to theaters and continue a rich film culture that reaches back more than 30 years of the Denver Film Festival. The cultural of film is breathing, but needs a chest-pump that doesn't cost the state money. The recently failed legislation to increase movie ticket prices by 10 cents would have put extra money into incentive programs.

Yet, nobody wants to spend money to make money in the great budget crunch sweeping the nation. This is where Zuckerman's plan to raise the rebate incentives without costing taxpayers money comes into action. We'll have to wait and see what it's all about once Hickenlooper reviews the proposal and Zuckerman gets the green light.

So, how does Colorado compare to other U.S. states with the Film Production Incentives programs? Here's a breakdown on available Tax Rebate incentives as of this year, according to each State's Film Commission Site. The numbers vary, but these are the highest listed rebate percentages. Keep in mind that this may include rebates based on use of state employees and use of the state's production resources. Also, most states offer tax exemption plans for using in state production resources, even with states that offer no tax rebate incentives.

44% in Alaska, 42% in Michigan, 37% in Oklahoma, 35% in Alabama, Missouri and Ohio, 32% in Tennessee, 31% in West Virginia, 30% in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina and Washington, 25% in California, New Mexico, Maryland, Massachusetts, N. Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, 23% in Montana, 20% in Arizona, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia, 15% in Indiana, Texas, Wyoming, 10% in Colorado, 0% in Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington D.C.