Written by Richard Battin on January 23, 2024
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“It’s not just about film,” Commissioner René García told Miami Today as he spoke of a new $10 million film production incentive program for the county in 2024. “It’s about really creating economic opportunity for our community down here.”
“At least with this $10 million, we can begin to bring film back to this community,” Senator García said…to foster a better relationship with South America and European studios.”
“Miami-Dade County has been a premier production center for film, television … and digital media,” he said.
Talking points provided to Miami Today by the commissioner's office said the county is “home to 200 film production companies, 15 sound studios, 15 recording studios, three Spanish-language production facilities and many small businesses that support feature films and videos.”
“The (current) Miami-Dade Incentive Program, while economically beneficial to the county, only provides incentives for small to medium-sized productions, as it provides rebates of $100,000 for productions with a minimum expenditure value of $1 million or provides $50,000 for productions with an expenditure value of at least $500,000.”
A $10 million program will allow the county to increase its commitment, said Senator García.
“In order to stabilize the exodus of support staff, crews, talent and ancillary businesses to other states and other Florida counties, and because the current Miami-Dade Incentive Program is not designed to attract high economic impact projects, the County is creating a competitive film . “Incentive program to retain and attract major television series and feature films,” the points read.
Up to $250,000 per day can flow into the local economy when a film is filmed in a specific location. It also boosts tourism, the commissioner emphasized.
“Other states such as Louisiana, North Carolina and Georgia have created their own competitive film incentive programs that attract major films filmed there compared to Miami-Dade County,” his points read.
The new program will “encourage more collaboration with foreign studios so they can come to Miami-Dade County and we can try to build better relationships,” he told Miami Today.
The new program will “make a small contribution to this,” said García. “This won’t happen overnight.”
The commissioner also said he needed to have a “deeper conversation with our friends in Tallahassee.” Florida has scaled back its stimulus while neighboring states have accelerated theirs.
Miami Dade College invests heavily in film education, Senator García told Miami Today, and “we want to make sure the students stay in our community. That's my number one goal.”
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