SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed legislation this week to incentivize movie and television productions to film in the city.
The legislation, authored by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, updates the Scene in San Francisco program, which encourages movie and TV productions to shoot in the city and hire local artists and crews by offering them monetary incentives.
“When productions choose San Francisco, they do more than showcase our city’s outstanding beauty. They invest directly in our workers, our neighborhoods, and our creative economy,” Lurie said in a news release issued by his office Wednesday. “Our arts and culture will drive our city’s comeback, and film is an essential part of that equation.”
The updated incentives for film productions include a rebate of up to 20% on qualified spending, and a full rebate on city fees like permits, police services, and use of city property up to $1 million.
Previously, the incentive program — established in 2006 — offered a rebate on city fees only up to $600,000. Additionally, productions were required to film 55-65% of the principal photography in the city to avail of the incentives.
Over two decades, the Scene in San Francisco program has rebated $7.6 million to productions, while delivering $26 million in local wages and bringing $69 million in spending to city businesses, according to the mayor’s office.
“More than 16,000 local crew members and actors have had job opportunities because of this program, and a single production can generate millions in local spending,” Mandelman said in the news release. “Strengthening our film incentive program will keep jobs in San Francisco and help ensure this important economic activity doesn’t bypass us.”
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