Gov. Sanford Signs Film Incentive Bill into Law

Gov. Sanford Signs Film Incentive Bill into Law

NEW INCENTIVES WILL MAKE SOUTH CAROLINA MORE COMPETITIVE IN RECRUITING MOVIES, TV SHOWS

Standing on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown, a major motion picture film star in her own right, Gov. Mark Sanford today signed into law H. 3152 - a film incentive act that will make South Carolina more competitive in attracting major motion pictures, independent films and television shows. The new law, which increases wage and sales tax rebates for motion pictures, independent films and television series that come to South Carolina to film, will couple our state's existing scenic competitiveness with more aggressive industry incentives.

"We've got an incredibly diverse selection of unique, scenic backdrops here in South Carolina that other states frankly can't compete with," Gov. Sanford said. "What we're doing with this new law is making sure filmmakers know that South Carolina's economic incentives are now just as competitive as our natural, visual incentives. That's a big part of playing to our strengths as a state and enhancing our existing competitive advantages, which is what this administration will continue to focus on as part of our efforts to raise income levels and improve our quality of life."

Filmmakers generally spend about one-third of a movie's total budget on location, money that includes numerous high-paying, high-skill jobs without creating the infrastructure costs to the state associated with many other industries. In recent years South Carolina has played host to numerous feature films including Radio, The Notebook, Cold Mountain, The Patriot, Forrest Gump, Days of Thunder, and The Big Chill.

"This legislation gives us a tremendous advantage when it comes to recruiting," said Commerce Secretary Bob Faith, whose Department of Commerce houses the South Carolina Film Commission. "We've got great locations for almost any kind of film setting, but today, choosing a location is almost always about the bottom line. Gov. Sanford deserves tremendous credit for his work in making our state's bottom line significantly more appealing."

Gov. Sanford signed the new film incentive legislation on the deck of the USS Yorktown, star of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Fighting Lady and World War II epic Tora! Tora! Tora!. Decommissioned in 1970, the 27,100-ton Essex Class carrier participated in numerous World War II and Vietnam War engagements, as well as the rescue of Apollo 8, the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon.

http://www.scgovernor.com/interior.asp?SiteContentId=6&pressid=182&NavId=54&ParentId=0