Detroit paper – Mississippi experience shows fallout when film credits are cut

Mississippi experience shows fallout when film credits are cut

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.”

Detroit Free Press
3/8/11