Utah will offer two film companies tax credits totalling more than $1.6 million as incentives to make their pictures here.

The board of the Governor's Office of Economic Development on Thursday unanimously approved a tax credit for Salt Lake-based Lumenas Studios to create a feature-length film called "The Legend of Santa Claus."

The incentive is a tax credit after the project wraps of up to 20 percent of the total dollars left in Utah, with a ceiling of $1 million.

The project, expected to leave $5 million in Utah, will involve about 116 Utah crew members for the production, which is expected to take 250 days. Colin Brady, who directed "Everyone's Hero" and helped animate such other films as "A Bug's Life," will direct the film, which tells how a boy grows up to be Santa.

The GOED board also gave a thumbs-up to incentives for Salty Pictures to film "Den Brother," a feature-length cable movie for Disney, in the Beehive State. The tax credit gives back up to 20 percent of the total dollars left in Utah by the production, with a credit cap of $672,378.

The film's Utah work would start late this month and end in early April. About 17 Utah cast members, 100 Utah crew members and as many as 2,000 local extras are expected to be part of the project.

e-mail: lois@desnews.com