Utah Film Commission pitches movie production incentives

SALT LAKE CITY — Unique landscapes and skilled crews are vital, but a bigger tax break would really sweeten the deal Utah offers big-time television series and big-budget movies, state economic development officials and industry insiders told lawmakers Wednesday.

Utah is a "just add water" mini-Hollywood, given its unique terrain and the "turn-key" quality of its local film crews, members of the Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development Interim Committee were told. That, combined with a 20 percent tax break that is now into its second year, landed some trophy production companies: Disney, which just finished shooting the live action/animated movie "John Carter of Mars"; and Fox Searchlight, which is producing "127 Hours," a docudrama based on the ordeal of climber Aron Ralston, who severed his own arm with a pair of pliers and a knife to free himself from a hiking accident near Moab seven years ago.

The incentive was good enough to tip studio budget overseers and directors Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") and Andrew Stanton ("Wall-E") in Utah's favor. It proved too little to woo the remake of the John Wayne classic "True Grit" by Joel and Ethan Coen and the DreamWorks production "Cowboys and Aliens." Those two multimillion-dollar projects ultimately chose New Mexico, which gives a 25 percent rebate or tax incentives, plus individual tax breaks on income taxes to actors, as well as other incentives Utah pares down or simply doesn't offer.

Film industry activity in Utah has generally quadrupled since the incentive approved under SB14 took effect, Marshall Moore, executive director of the state Film Commission film.utah.gov/ told lawmakers.

The commission couldn't be more grateful, and lawmakers couldn't have expected a greater return on the state's $2.3 annual investment in the two-year incentive plan that will sunset June 30, Moore said.

According to commission figures, every dollar invested is multiplied by 2.5 to 4 times as it moves through the state economy.

Committee members took no action but said before and after the meeting that they are more than encouraged by the job and revenue numbers of the incentive plan and would be willing to discuss pushing the incentive to 30 percent.

"The more that we increase that figure," said co-chairman Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Eagle Mountain, the more money is flowing into the pockets of Utahns."