It’s not as simple as, uh, B.C.

When I moved to Seattle 14 or 15 years ago, I heard talk of a local film community but could never find it. Then, in the past few years, one finally emerged, thanks in large part to the efforts of Amy Lillard and Washington FilmWorks (WFW). Formed as a non-profit and absorbing the Washington State Film Commission, WFW figured away to build a fund that would work as a lure for smaller-budgeted feature films and commercials to be shot here. The program has been an incredible success bringing work to the region, building a functional industry in-state and generating real, live revenue for Washington. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished and in the current fiscal crisis the state’s legislators have not seen fit to renew a program which brought in more than it cost. (Where else can you find that in the budget, folks?) Thus, the blossoming film community will likely be trampled without significant public intervention and outcry… or a complete economic reversal of fortune. It’s a shame, filmmakers were making livings and the ledgers were in the black. Sigh.

For more about WFW’s incentive program and what YOU can do, watch this video.

Recently, the Puget Sound Business Journal asked me to comment on the potential demise of WFW and the ongoing debate over film incentives in B.C. Click here for the complete article.