Mississippi experience shows economic fallout when film credits are cut
BY KATHERINE YUNG
DETROIT FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
To see what effect a $25-million annual cap on film incentives would have on Michigan's movie production industry, look at Mississippi.The southern state limits spending on film incentives to $20 million, a little less than Gov. Rick Snyder's proposal for Michigan. Mississippi offers filmmakers 20% to 25% cash rebates, depending on whether they employ state residents.
With a $20-million cap, seven productions shot scenes in Mississippi last year, compared with 58 in Michigan. That includes one night of filming for the HBO series "True Blood" and about a week of production for PBS's "Antiques Roadshow."
The state is such a small player in the movie industry that its total annual incentive spending has never come close to hitting the cap, said Ward Emling, manager of Mississippi's Office of Film, Music & Heritage. "The types of films we get are generally smaller," he said.
Mississippi's experience illustrates the dilemma that lawmakers in Lansing face as they consider Snyder's plan to put a $25-million annual cap on new incentives for production companies. At that level, Michigan would rank seventh among 23 states with spending limits, slightly ahead of Mississippi but behind Florida, which has a $53.5-million cap.
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