SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) - The Savannah Regional Film Commission (SRFC) has announced major incentive increases as productions continue to decline.
The major changes come in the form of increased cash rebates for production companies, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The motion picture rebate has risen from $100,000 to $175,000. For television series, the rebate has increased from $250,000 to $300,000.
Savannah continues to offer a bonus incentive of $25,000 to productions employing at least 50% of its crew within 60 miles of City Hall.
These incentives come in addition to the state’s film tax credit, which offers production companies an income tax credit of 20%, with an additional 10% if they include the familiar five-second-long Georgia logo in the finished product.
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Walker Dalton, executive director for the SFRC, sees the potential for these incentives to serve as a pivotal moment.
“The temperature of interest is already good, and with the announcement of the incentive, we hope it puts a fire under a couple of producers to cement their agreements to be in Savannah,” Dalton said.
Savannah is the second-most popular filming location in Georgia behind Atlanta. Whereas Atlanta features more sound stages for major productions, Savannah offers a larger rebate.
Major productions released within the last two years include Todd Haynes' Academy Award-nominated film “May December,” Clint Eastwood’s courtroom drama “Juror #2″ and the upcoming Amazon Prime series “Clean Slate,” produced by the late Norman Lear.
Productions in Savannah have been on a steady decline following the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) labor strikes.
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