Louisiana, once celebrated as a booming hub for film and television production, has experienced a sharp and troubling decline in recent years. Once bustling soundstages and streets that regularly transformed into film sets now sit quiet as productions increasingly bypass the state. In response to this downturn, state officials, industry leaders, and advocates are mobilizing to breathe new life into Louisiana’s faltering movie making industry through a combination of policy reforms, competitive tax incentives, and national advocacy efforts, according to this article from The Advocate.

The broader downturn in U.S. film production has been fueled by a combination of factors. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted filming schedules globally, while the 2023 Hollywood guild strikes and California wildfires compounded the challenges for American-based productions. According to data compiled by ProdPro, a leading production tracking firm, U.S. film and television production dropped by 26% in 2023 compared to 2021.

Louisiana, however, has suffered even more dramatically. The state recorded a staggering 65% decrease in production activity over the past three years, noted Jason Waggenspack, CEO of The Ranch Studios and president of Film Louisiana. Where once 14 to 16 major productions filmed in Louisiana during any given month in 2022, the current landscape is devoid of any significant film or television activity.

Patrick Mulhearn, a former official with Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and past executive director of Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, emphasized that foreign countries have aggressively pursued film production through robust incentive programs. With the U.S. dollar remaining strong, producers have increasingly recognized that their budgets stretch further in countries like Canada, where government incentives sweeten the deal.

To address these competitive disadvantages, Louisiana lawmakers are advancing legislation aimed at modernizing and streamlining the state’s film tax credit program. A bill introduced by Senator Adam Bass of Bossier City, and supported by Louisiana Economic Development, seeks to grant LED expanded authority over the administration of the $125 million in annual film tax credits. Currently, adjustments to the program require legislative action; the proposed bill would transfer that authority to LED, enabling the agency to make timely and strategic decisions.

LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois underscored the need for this change, explaining that the film tax credit program has undergone 30 amendments over two decades. She argued that continuing to require legislative approval for every minor adjustment hinders Louisiana’s ability to respond quickly to evolving industry needs.

Under the proposed bill, productions would no longer have to navigate a complicated system of bonuses or “kickers” tied to specific activities such as hiring Louisiana-based crews or filming outside of New Orleans. Instead, qualifying productions would be eligible for a straightforward 40% tax credit, provided they meet higher, more competitive standards. Additionally, the bill lifts existing caps on credits for actors and directors, giving LED the latitude to lure major productions or high-profile series if deemed beneficial to the state.

Beyond legislative changes, Louisiana advocates are also seeking to elevate the state’s presence on the global stage. Katie Pryor, executive director of Film Baton Rouge, co-founded Film USA, an initiative born from her visit to the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. There, she observed the absence of a national U.S. film office while other countries showcased unified national campaigns to attract filmmakers. Pryor’s initiative aims to address that gap by promoting the American film industry collectively, rather than leaving the burden solely to states and cities. Baton Rouge itself holds a storied legacy in independent filmmaking. The city served as the backdrop for Steven Soderbergh’s 1989 breakout film “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” a project that earned acclaim at Cannes and helped establish Soderberg has a major force in American cinema.

As Louisiana seeks to reclaim its role as a destination for moviemaking, state leaders hope that a combination of flexible policy, aggressive incentives, and national advocacy will reestablish the state as a competitive player in the global entertainment industry.

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