The DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development participated today in a roundtable held by the Committee on Small and Local Business Development chaired by Councilmember Vincent Orange to examine the landscape of the film and television industry in the District. The DC Film Office was one of more than a few dozen witnesses who spoke on the unique benefits, challenges and experiences of filming in the District.
Councilmember Orange opened the roundtable by identifying three major goals of the hearing that were reiterated throughout the day: examining the value and key components of a competitive film incentive package, discussing ways to reduce bureaucracy that filmmakers encounter when attempting to navigate multi-jurisdictional filming, and inspecting the benefits of having a soundstage to attract more production to the District. Many ideas were shared on these three main themes that ranged from lottery funding to finance the film incentive fund to creating a federal czar to manage the complicated process of multi-jurisdictional filming in the District.
DC Film Office Director Crystal Palmer concluded the hearing by offering her testimony on the importance and value of a generously funded incentive package to remain competitive in attracting film and television production to the District and the creative ways the District is looking into funding the first theater east of the River in nearly 25 years.
“It’s my modest hope that one or all of these ideas will help fulfill the mission of the Office of Motion Picture and Television Development to initiate and implement programs aimed at generating revenue and stimulating employment opportunities for the District through the production of film and video projects,” stated Crystal Palmer.