The Los Angeles City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Film, Entertainment and Creative Industry convened for the first time Wednesday, a three-member panel intended to bolster and provide support to the city’s film industry.
The committee was established last month by Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Councilman Adrin Nazarian serves as the chair, and he will work alongside Councilwomen Traci Park and Imelda Padilla on issues pertaining to the film industry.
“We live in a time where families across Los Angeles are getting financially squeezed, and at the same time, Hollywood jobs are leaving the city. We’ve done enough talking about that threat, and now it’s time for action,” Nazarian said in his opening remarks.
“And action is what this committee is committed to do,” Nazarian added.
He explained the committee will serve as a forum for robust debate and honest discussions.
“This committee is where the public learns what is happening to local production, and where we put departments and decision makers on the record,” Nazarian added. “We will keep the issues on the plans to address them in front of us to hold ourselves accountable.”
Additionally, Nazarian said he will aim to “pull back” the curtain on City Hall, providing insight into how legislation impacted the film industry takes shape.
He emphasized that the committee cannot control industry consolidation, or tax credits from other states and countries, or even how technology advances, but it can control how the city responds to the needs of filmmakers.
“This committee exists so that you don’t have to jump through multiple hoops to pull a permit or pay duplicate fees that drive up the budget. It exists so that storytellers of the next generation feel supported to launch their careers in Los Angeles,” Nazarian said.
In recent years, LA’s film and entertainment industry has struggled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the dual actors and writers strike in 2023 and 2024, and the loss of projects to other states and nations who have provided competitive tax incentives for filmmakers, among other challenges.
Meanwhile, an ongoing legal battle between Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta has the industry on edge.
Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in July seeking to block a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging the combination would reduce competition and result in higher prices, lower content quality and fewer movies and television shows.
The Writers Guild of America has also challenged the transaction, arguing the merger would harm competition and lead to entertainment-industry job losses.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has defended the merger, saying in an Aug. 14 statement that it “will create a stronger competitor with greater capacity to invest in premium content, support creative talent and workers, and deliver more high-quality entertainment to audiences.”
The litigation has also prompted calls from some Southern California elected officials for the parties to reach a settlement. Ellison previously threatened to move the company outside of California if the merger remained blocked.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Aug. 28 that prolonged uncertainty surrounding the merger could further harm the Los Angeles County film and television industry and urged Bonta and Paramount to resume settlement talks.
Bonta previously said he was willing to negotiate but canceled a planned meeting with Paramount representatives after details of confidential settlement discussions were leaked to the media. Paramount denied being the source of the leaks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for governor, have also called for the parties to negotiate a resolution.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who is challenging Bass in the Nov. 3 mayoral election, has opposed a settlement that would allow the merger to proceed under its current terms.