November 2021 Newsletter
‘Selling Tampa’ Premieres December 15th!
The Florida-based spinoff will follow the owner and agents of the all Black, all female firm, Allure Realty.
Tampa Teen Stars in Disney Channel Christmas Movie
‘Christmas Again’ is ‘Groundhog Day’ with a holiday spin. It premieres Dec. 3.
Film Tampa Bay recently participated in a trip to Tallahassee to educate lawmakers on the value of the film industry, and to ask for support toward the current entertainment industry bills in the House (HB217) and Senate (SB946).
Since our previous program sunset in 2016, Florida has missed out on hundreds of productions, thousands of hotel room nights, local hires and billions of dollars in direct spending. As the only state in the Southeast to not have a state-level program to support and attract Film Productions, Florida will continue to be at a disadvantage, resulting in countless missed opportunities at the expense of a shrinking workforce and support services. The time to act is now, and we hope you will join us in support of HB 217 and SB 946.
The bills offer a chance to create a targeted performance-based program -- a program with an excellent return on investment, ensuring the state receives more than $1 of tax revenues for every $1 in rebates or credits provided while creating more than $5 of spending in the state. Florida would make money from the program, which would increase state tax revenues without raising taxes. This program puts a priority on resident hires, projects with potential toward tourism, prioritizing underutilized areas, and encourages the production of more family-friendly productions throughout the state.
We hope you will take the time to reach out to your local representatives to thank them for their support, or to encourage them to add their names to the growing list of co-sponsors.
Not sure who your representatives are, or how to contact them? Film Florida has a number of resources to help. While you are checking out their website, please consider joining if you are not already a member.
- Tyler
Together with Film Florida and Film Miami, we met with 80 representatives. Bob Layton, co-creator of Iron Man and Ant Man, joined us to tell his story and share his perspective on why a Film Program would benefit the state.
Business in Tampa Interviews FTB Marketing Manager, Jesse Brock
Film St. Pete/Clearwater & Film Tampa Bay Annual Holiday Get-Together
Sat, Dec 11 | 7:30PM - 10:30PM
Morean Center for Clay
Karaoke | Photo Booth | Hors D'ouevres
Next Month’s Spotlight:
Photographer Series continues as we interview Jimmy Fashner and Maria Garcia, Bay Area photographers with experience shooting for Fresh Kitchen, Disney, Universal, Toyota, and who are the creators of IGers St. Pete.
Stay tuned for more about Jimmy and Maria.
Episode 4: Scatter Bros. is now streaming
Available on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and Podbean
Notable Productions in November
ESPN/The Walt Disney Company
Monday Night Countdown
90 Day Fiance
Happily Ever After
Jersey Mike’s
Commercial
Northwestern Mutual
Commercial
Marriott
Commercial
Tampa On The Screen
'Tampa Baes' is a realty series that follows a group of lesbians as they dine out and hang out in Tampa Bay. The LGBTQ+ show goes to some favorite Tampa locations like Ybor City (known as Gaybor in the series), downtown, the beaches, and more. Now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Are you still paying sales tax on your Florida Production Expenditures?
The Florida Office of Film and Entertainment offers a point-of-sale Sales Tax Exemption to qualified production companies producing content in Florida.
Qualified Florida Expenditures include:
Production equipment rental or purchase
Real estate rental (studio, office, location fees)
Set design and construction
Props
Wardrobe
Computers and software (production related)
You can start saving up to 7.5% in just a few business days! Apply online at www.filminflorida.com.
