Film Makers Seek Film Incentives

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Countless movies are made about Memphis, but it seems few are actually shot here so, some city leaders are working to get a "scene change."

Memphis and Shelby County Film Commission Executive Director, Linn Sitler, painfully observes our welcome mat may still be out, but in recent years few have been anxious to come inside and sit a spell.

"This has killed us. This has been the worst four years in our film history," said Sitler.

It seems like only yesterday when Memphis provided the rich backdrop for movie blockbusters like "The Firm" and "The Client." The Bluff City was a host of other multi-million dollar productions and it seemed like we were destined to be the Hollywood of the South.

Lights, camera, action and the jobs that came with making it all happen but, that was yesterday- the '90's to be exact. What happened? It was film makers fully taking advantage of an increasing number of monetary incentive programs aggressively created by other states.

Think of it like a race where everybody else is in "The Fast and the Furious" mode while Tennessee's incentive package is more like "Driving Miss Daisy."

"The world of incentives really began in about the year 2000. Now there are over 40 states that have some kind of incentive program," said Sitler.

Sitler, who's been at the forefront of the incentive package fight, reflects it took until 2006 before the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Visual Contact Act paving the way for a state-wide movie incentive package.

"The governor did sign it into law but, then immediately the administration froze the money; the $10 million we'd been able to get," said Sitler.

But, Sitler said even though the money eventually was restored and doubled, the valuable time lost in implementing it gave other states like Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina time to put their programs into high gear. Sitler said her talks with studio people have become downright discouraging.

"If a state has a cap on it's fund of 20 million dollars or 10 million dollars like we did, they don't even consider the state. Because they feel by the time their movie does get there the money maybe gone," said Sitler.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton admits it's unrealistic to think Nashville's going to open up the coffers to lure in the movies. But, Wharton is hopeful a recent $250K grant to the city from the National Endowment for the Arts is a small step toward getting the attention of other creative artists.

In the meantime, Sitler and Austin hope to find a more active ally in whoever becomes the state's next governor. The alternative would be to watch more potential dollars "Hustle and Flo" out of Memphis and the rest of Tennessee.

"That crew and our actors who go to Georgia and go to Louisiana are living there and buying food and staying in hotels and helping the economies of Georgia and Louisiana,"said Sitler.