Greater Cleveland Film Commission

Greater Cleveland Film Commission
501(c) non-profit
Industry Film
Founded 1998
Headquarters Cleveland, Ohio
Key people
 Ivan Schwarz-President
Website http://www.clevelandfilm.com/

The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit organization. Its mission is to promote increased production of film, television, video and other types of media in Northeast Ohio to generate economic benefits for the region and increased job training and job opportunity for its citizenry.

Programs and services

Attraction

The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is aggressively pursuing media production and businesses that can make a significant impact on the local economy. The organization serves as a one-stop shop for local, national and international filmmakers and producers to ensure great filming experiences. As a result of the lobbying efforts of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, the State of Ohio passed the Motion Picture Tax Credit, and the region is poised to compete for a wide range of media production. In the first two years since the tax credit was passed, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission has attracted productions with local budgets in excess of $90 million. Notably, the films attracted by the Greater Cleveland Film Commission represent more than 75% of the total for all films shot across the state of Ohio. In 2011, six major motion pictures completed production in Cleveland. These films include The Avengers, Alex Cross, Boot Tracks, Fun Size, and Liberal Art and Old Fashioned

Advocacy

Having successfully lobbied the State of Ohio to pass the competitive Motion Picture Tax Credit in 2009, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission redoubled their efforts to ensure the continuation of the credit in 2011 and continues to advocate for public polices that will promote and support media production. The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is working closely with state officials and producers to facilitate the application process and continues to build strong relationships with public officials to work together in developing the northeastern Ohio economy and workforce.

Workforce Development

Workforce development programs are designed to provide local talent with the training, experience and professional connections to enable them to succeed in the film industry. All workforce development programs are created in consultation with industry experts and local academic partners in order to yield relevant, employer-driven curriculum and training. Current programs include industry training boot camps, seminars, academic programs, networking events and access to experts. These programs encompass the creative, business and crew aspects of production and each address specific segments of the film workforce (from introductory training to more advanced professional development opportunities) to build a comprehensive industry. The Greater Cleveland Film Commission works closely with local colleges and universities on curriculum development and staff development.

Ohio Film Tax Credit

The Ohio Film Tax Credit (established in 2009) provides for a refundable credit against the corporation franchise or income tax for motion pictures produced in Ohio. The term "motion picture," as utilized within the context of the legislation, is broadly defined and means entertainment content created in whole or in part within the State of Ohio for distribution or exhibition to the general public.

The following types of products could be eligible for the Ohio Film Tax Credit:

  • Feature-length films
  • Documentaries (long-form, specials, mini-series, series and interstitial television programming)
  • Interactive web sites
  • Sound recordings
  • Videos
  • Music Videos
  • Interactive television
  • Interactive games
  • Video games
  • Commercials
  • Any format of digital media
  • Any trailer, pilot, video teaser or demo created primarily to stimulate the sale, marketing, promotion or exploitation of future investment in either a product or a motion picture my any means and media in any digital media format, film or videotape provided the motion picture qualified as a motion picture.

The tax credit is equal to 25% of non-wage and nonresident wage Ohio production expenditures and 35% of Ohio resident wage production expenditures. Up to $5 million in credits is available per production and $20 million in credits is available per fiscal year.

Notable Films/Television made in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio

External links