They’re looking for a sequel.
Elected leaders are taking steps to bring the film industry back to New Hanover County.
County commissioners Rob Zapple and Johnathan Barfield Jr. asked the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) for more money for the state’s film grant program at their meeting last week. According to Zapple, when state leaders ended the tax credit program, film companies moved out of state where there are more incentive programs.
“(State leaders) felt that they were uncomfortable with the tax credit program and they thought that film companies would still come here even without the incentive program,” Zapple said. “They were wrong and Georgia, Louisiana, Florida and Texas all had strong and robust film and television enhancement or incentive programs, and that’s why film and television here just went right to them.”
The film industry brought in about $900 million for North Carolina from 2012-14, according to Zapple, and about $500 million for New Hanover County.
Zapple said if the grant offered more money, the county could lure producers back to the area, creating jobs for thousands. He has a message for those producers.
See more at WECT.
