Dennis Quaid lobbies to make Texas new ‘film capital of the world’ over California
Jenny Goldsberry
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Actor Dennis Quaid is working on turning Texas into a replacement for Hollywood in the film-making industry.
Quaid, whose hometown is Houston, appeared on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime on Friday to lobby for more funding towards film projects in his home state. The actor, along with other native Texan actors, took part in an ad to encourage support for funding to the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program.
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According to Quaid, Texas is “more business friendly” and has the potential to become “the film capital of the world.”
“I can’t remember the last time I made a film in California, to tell you the truth. You know, they still do their game shows there and talk shows and stuff that everybody films in Georgia or Oklahoma or whatever, because it doesn’t matter where it’s supposed to take place cause it’s cheaper,” Quaid said. “You know, they’re getting 30%, up to 40% of their money back, you know, through tax credits there. And we want Texas to compete with that.”
Dennis Quaid on Jesse Watters Primetime
The incentive program offers grants for film and television projects to the tune of 5% for those that cost anywhere between $250,000 and $1 million, 10% for anything $1 million – $3.5 million, and 20% for those exceeding $3.5 million. These could also receive an additional 2.5% grant if they are filmed in an underutilized or economically distressed area.
Its only requirements would be that “70% of paid crew and 70% of paid cast members, including extras, must be Texas Residents and 60% of total production days must be completed in Texas” according to the Texas Film Commission.
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Texas House bill 4419 would “establish a film events trust fund” which would raise the rebates provided by the state from $45 million to $200 million from its budget. While the House approved the bill without any debate, the Senate has yet to vote and has until legislative session’s end on May 29.
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“Think of the California gold rush, you know? It’s like a few people did strike it rich, but the people who really made money were the shopkeepers and people selling shovels and spades and stuff like that who were doing other things besides mining for gold,” Quaid explained. “And that’s kind of what happened here.”
In the lifetime of the incentive program, which began in 2007, it has earned $1.95 billion towards in-state spending, which adds up to a 504% return.