I am very excited to announce that SOFaT and the AIFF have worked out some excellent ways for us to have a presence at this year's festival, taking place next week from April 2nd to April 6th.
- A SOFaT flyer and information card will be placed in all VIP Welcome bags, which are received by filmmakers, jurors, and prominent industry folks. - Two board members will be able to attend the Filmmaker's Only Receptions on Friday and Saturday evening during the festival, congratulate them on their films and let them know of the strong crew and resources that would be available to them if they find the area to be a possible location for a future project. - We will be at the Local Filmmakers Screening on Sunday morning, handing out SOFaT flyers in the lobby of the Ashland Armory to those attending the event. - Ashland Mayor John Stromberg's letter in the AIFF program mentions SOFaT and gives the website. - AIFF Executive Director Tom Olbrich will mention SOFaT to audiences in front of select screenings. - SOFaT member Ray Robison has a film in the festival, his recently completed "Model Rules." We congratulate Ray on his achievement.
If any of you are available to staff the lobby on Sunday morning from 9:30am until the screening ends, please let me know. We could use the bodies. And if any Board members are unable to attend the Filmmaker's Receptions for any reason, please let me know if you would like to be considered a backup.
We hope that all SOFaT members take the opportunity to thank the festival planners for giving us this opportunity to spread awareness of SOFaT to such a targeted crowd. When the festival is over, the Board will begin discussing next year's opportunities, possibly even a financial sponsorship.
Please be aware that there is no charge to attend the Local's Only screenings. So please support your fellow SOFaT members, potential members, and industry peers. You need to get a ticket, but the tickets are free. See the AIFF website for screening times: http://www.ashlandfilm.org.
The key to getting out of this recession is improving the economy and getting people working immediately. The current catch phrase in government is "shovel-ready jobs." There is not another industry more capable of acting immediately than the film industry. When a decision is made to get a project started, the work begins the next day.
Thanks to the incentive program put in place by the state, Oregon has witnessed a resurgence of film and television production. 2009 is already proving to be the best year Oregon's film and television industry has seen in over fifteen years. Film incentives bring jobs and revenue into our state while requiring little demand on our infrastructure.
Most importantly, the incentive programs are not speculative. No money is handed out until there is proof that the investment has been made here in Oregon. The best news is that there is still room to grow. With the continued support of the state, this industry will continue to bring in investment to the state, thus creating jobs for Oregonians and revenue for local business and government.
The film and video industry generates around $709 million per year for Oregon's economy. Every dollar in tax credits used for the incentive fund returned $1.15 to the State Treasury.
In 2007 out-of-state productions represented $41.3 million in direct spending in the state.
In 2007 the industry generated annual wages 34% higher than the state average. Film and video production creates more than 13,000 jobs for Oregon workers per year.
Hotels, restaurants, antique stores, cell phone companies, dry cleaners, car rental agencies, lumber yards, paint stores, and a large array of otherOregon businesses derive revenue from production.
Tourism is impacted by filming. When Twilight shot in the state, local restaurants and hotels had an increase in business when Twilight fans from other states and countries visited. The Astoria Chamber of Commerce reports that 200 people per month visit Astoria to see the house from the 1985 movie The Goonies.
The incentive plan is working. Because of incentives, between 2005 and 2007 Oregon's out-of-state film industry spend grew 117%. Since Oregon started offering incentives, the budgets of out-of-state film projects have grown from an average of $2.1 million per project to $8 million per project.
As successful as the current incentives program is, it still only allows for 6-8 months of production per year. An increase to OPIF of $5 million over two years will bring us closer to a full year of production each year.
This event will be most successful if we can have participation from all areas of the state. The goal is to put Oregon faces on an industry that operates in all legislative districts, so please join us either in person or by mail for this much-needed work.
