STATEHOUSE (Feb. 4, 2020) — A bipartisan bill authored by State Sen. Justin Busch (R-Fort Wayne) that would promote economic growth through a statewide film and media production incentive program passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of 47 to 2 today.
Senate Bill 262 would authorize the Indiana Destination Development Corporation to create a Film and Media Production Program to offer rebates to attract film, television and media production, including music and animation, to Indiana.
“Film and media production firms want to come to Indiana because of our high-quality resources and the talented individuals in our state, but are discouraged by our state’s lack of an incentive program that is the standard worldwide,” Busch said. “In addition, many popular series take place in Indiana, but are filmed in other locations that offer incentive programs. For example, the hit Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’ and popular, novel-based movie ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ are both stories set in Indiana, but filmed elsewhere. To shoot a specific scene for ‘The Fault in Our Stars,’ the production crew opted to re-create the Funky Bones exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in a different state instead of filming on location in Indiana.”
There are currently 32 states that offer film and media production incentive programs, including neighboring states Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois, which have contributed between $400 million and $6 billion to their economies and created 20,000 new jobs.
“Fort Wayne is home to Sweetwater Sound, which houses world-class recording studios that are at the forefront of Fort Wayne’s growing music hub,” Busch said, “This legislation would help grow Fort Wayne’s and the entire state’s music scene, encouraging artists to record and perform in Indiana. It’s time for Indiana to be a part of the $300 billion dollar film and music production industry, and SB 262 would help our state compete in this sector and promote economic development in a number of other industries.”
SB 262 will now move to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
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For a high-resolution photo of Busch, click here.
