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Orange County wants to lure filmmakers to Orlando
Orange County could be a perfect location for film production. Now, the county is hoping to lure Hollywood to Orlando with some incentive money.
ORLANDO, Fla. - With its picturesque neighborhoods, stunning beaches, and enviable year-round climate, Orange County is positioning itself as the next Hollywood, aiming to attract filmmakers with financial incentives.
In a move to bolster the local film industry, the county commission voted on Tuesday to initiate an incentives program designed to entice film productions to Central Florida. The decision comes amid efforts to capitalize on the region's natural allure as a backdrop for cinematic endeavors.
Sarah Goras, a filmmaker based in Orange County, underscored the significance of incentives in location selection, noting their pivotal role in determining where productions choose to film.
"We always look at the incentives to determine where we film," Goras explained.
Florida ceased its film incentive program in 2016, prompting an exodus of industry professionals to neighboring states like Georgia, where lucrative incentives remain in place. Now, Orange County seeks to reverse this trend by offering its own incentives to lure filmmakers back to the Sunshine State.
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Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla, a proponent of the initiative and a former film school student herself, emphasized the economic potential of reinstating film incentives. She estimated a loss of approximately $1.5 billion in tax revenue due to the absence of such programs.
"There are film incentives in different states, there are also film incentives in different counties, and they don't come to Orange County because we don't have that," Bonilla lamented.
The proposed film incentives program aims to benefit a diverse array of filmmakers, including locals, students, and businesses. By creating employment opportunities and stimulating economic activity, proponents envision a thriving film ecosystem that enriches the local community.
Goras echoed the sentiment, expressing enthusiasm for the prospect of conducting film work within her own community.
"It would be so exciting to have the work here to do what I love here in my economy," Goras added. "It's amazing to live and work in the same place and not have to leave to work."
While the exact cost of the incentives program remains uncertain, Bonilla suggested that the county could allocate anywhere from $1 million to $5 million towards the endeavor.