Among other tools in the film commission's arsenal is the Motion Picture Incentive Fund, which allows approved filmmakers to recoup up to 15 percent of their in-state production spending, for a maximum of $500,000 per project. The state has allocated $4 million this fiscal year.

Utah started the incentives program in 2004. Moore said this summer that Utah had provided $4 million to filmmakers since then but had seen a $50 million return on that investment.

Moore also said that in 2004, only 15 other states offered film incentives. Today, at least 35 states have targeted tax incentives for film and TV productions, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

The incentive race started in 2002, when Louisiana became the first state to offer a tax credit. That year, $11.8 million was spent filming movies and TV shows in Louisiana. The next year, the total jumped to $212 million. Today, Louisiana is third in the country in film production.

Since New York enacted its 10 percent tax credit for filmmakers in 2004, 169 projects have spent $2.7 billion there, according to the state's tax department. Since Connecticut's tax credit took effect in July 2006, production companies have spent more than $300 million to make movies, TV shows and commercials in the state. That's up from just $1 million in the first six months of 2006.

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Contributing: Gannett News Service.

E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com