Public comment open for new incentives for film productions

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Southern Arizona will once again be a booming location for film crew thanks to new incentives. Right now, public comment is open as the Arizona Commerce Authority and Film Tucson looks to revise the program.

Teatro Carman was featured in Drew Barrymore’s movie Boys on the Side back in 1995. The Chicago Music Store on Congress was also featured in Jodi Foster’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

Now, Peter Cantalanotte, Director of Film Tucson, is looking to bring back film crews in droves thanks to those new incentives starting in just a couple of months.

“We’ve been hearing from lots of studios, lots of indie films, lots of directors and producers who want to bring projects to Tucson,” he said.

The incentives program is state law and the Arizona Commerce Authority is looking to fine tune the rules with public input.

The hope is that this will facilitate more workforce opportunities here in Arizona and the Old Pueblo.

“We’re going to start getting a lot of productions here looking around, scouting out locations, and then later setting up for filming,” he said.

Those crews will then boost the local economy. Cantalanotte says these production crews will start “racking up hotel room nights” and they’ll need to, “hire local actors, local crew, and they’ll spend time at local restaurants and go shopping.”

Cantalanotte said there’s numerous locations crews can have access to while they’re in town. Some popular spots include Old Tucson all the way to Nogales where parts of Hangover Three were filmed.

“We’re trying to set up meetings all throughout Southern Arizona and different justifications to prepare them for what’s coming,” he said.

Film crews can start submitting requests as early as September to take advantage of the program.

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