490 Attends Film Board Preview Breakfast
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IATSE 490 attended the The MN 2020 Film and TV Preview Breakfast on Dec, 8th 2019. In attendance for our union was Sister Kathryn Rogers. She found the event very informative. The breakfast started with an introduction by Executive Director Melodie Bahan, with a review of 2019.
MN Film TV Director Melodie Bahan speaks at the Black Dog Cafe in Saint Paul, MN. Photo provided by Kathryn Rogers.
From Director Bahan recap,
incentives
Last year, IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips announced the relaunching of the Iron Range Rebate. We’ve created new guidelines and there are still funds available for projects shooting in the Iron Range region.
On the Minnesota Production Rebate Program, after nearly two years of research and discussion, we launched revised guidelines for the Program with the goal of ensuring that taxpayer dollars provided by the state are administered responsibly and in service of the program’s goals.
Despite the small appropriation from the legislature for the current biennium, since opening applications under the new guidelines our office has certified seven projects, representing nearly $4 million in new spending in Minnesota.
community engagement
Last year at this time we announced the move of ITVFest from Vermont to Duluth. In October, the newly branded Catalyst Content Festival rocked Duluth, bringing hundreds of episodic creators from around the world together with agents and industry executives for four days of screenings, workshops, readings, panels, and some of the greatest parties we’ve ever seen. To the great joy of the folks at Visit Duluth, you couldn’t find a vacant hotel room during the festival!
In addition to our successful "SPOTLIGHT" fundraiser party in June, which honored the crew of Purple Rain on the film’s 40th anniversary, our Town Halland First Friday Open Office events drew hundreds of individuals from all areas of production – from students to seasoned professionals – to ask questions, provide input and feedback, and network.
legislative progress
We began a full-court press for a tax credit production incentive, which would make Minnesota competitive and bring new spending and jobs to the state.
We made great progress, getting bipartisan sponsorship for our bill, and having hearings in the tax committees of both houses. We were ultimately unable to get the bill passed this year, but having now introduced the idea of a tax credit incentive, we have a plan for moving forward.
Over the summer, along with Catalyst executive director Philip Gilpin, Melodie traveled to Los Angeles with elected officials from Duluth and the surrounding counties. One of our lead sponsors in the House, Rep. Dave Lislegard, invited Speaker Melissa Hortman to go along, and the group met with executives from HBO, Disney, A&E, the Television Academy and others about the impact of increased production on Minnesota’s economy. The Speaker’s participation in these meetings and enthusiasm for the industry will be incredibly helpful in moving our agenda in the House.
Photo provided by Kathryn Rogers.
Bahan continued,
“ We are announcing the formation of a new, broad-based coalition made up of industry professionals, corporations, labor, tourism, economic development organizations, educators, and individuals like you. The mission statement:
The Minnesota Film Alliance (MFA) is a statewide, non-profit industry trade association representing Minnesota’s film, TV and digital media production industry. MFA’s vision is to build and sustain a highly professional entertainment production industry in Minnesota.
You've probably heard that the state of Georgia is killing it in the entertainment industry because of their tax credit incentives. How did they get those incentives passed? Through the efforts of an industry trade alliance like this one.
Also, here is a nice little slogan for this brand new 501(c)(6):
"KEEP MINNESOTA ROLLING!"
The Minnesota Film Alliance is funded by membership, which will enable it to mount a comprehensive campaign in support of our legislative goals. Memberships range from $100 for individuals to $10,000 for corporate partners. To get more information or join the Alliance, contact Melodie Bahan at 612.767.0095.
The attendees listen in on the Film Boards plan for 2020, Photo provided by Kathryn Rogers.
Bahan continued,
MN Film & TV has partnered with researchers at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management to conduct a survey of workers in the entertainment industry – the first survey of its kind to take place in Minnesota.
The goal is to help us make informed decisions as we support Minnesota production workers. It should also help us answer questions posed by state legislators about labor conditions and the local industry's response to such conditions.
The survey is split into four categories to research industry strengths and weaknesses:
Communication
Training and development
Wellness
Experiences of harassment or discrimination
We want absolutely everybody in the Minnesota production industry to participate in this survey! It's the first time ever that we'll have a comprehensive overview of this vital sector of our economy.
The survey will go live in January, and we'll make it easily accessible to everyone who'd like to participate. For more info, contact Grace O'Neil, the U of M student who's managing the survey.
Sister Rogers remarked,
”The preview breakfast was a great place to network and understand what's happening in the MN film industry. Thanks to our Union for giving me the opportunity to understand more about what has happened as well as what's what's on the horizon.
It is important for our local to support our industry events either as sponsors or attendees. We see these events as an opportunity for our members to network and get involved in socially in our industry. These free tickets to our members come up often, so stayed tuned to your union emails for their release. Thank you Sister Rogers for attending this event.
(footnote, Director Bahan’s qoutes have been pasted from the MNFILMTV published recap of the event.)