Get the Facts: Kentucky Senate Bill looks to establish a film office in the state
A bill that would establish a film office in Kentucky is moving forward.
On Thursday, the Senate Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor Committee voted "yes" on Senate Bill 1, which Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, is sponsoring.
SB1 would establish a centralized office as a one-stop shop for production crews worldwide looking to film in Kentucky.
The office would serve as the first point of contact for productions, market Kentucky to the $300 billion global film industry, provide resources and support for productions filming in Kentucky, and more.
Kentucky has one of the top five film incentive programs in the country, according to legislators.
But Wheeler says the program is underperforming because not enough people know about it.
"A dedicated film office will help us get the type of productions needed to provide both important jobs and economic development within the Commonwealth of Kentucky," said Wheeler.
A UofL study found the Kentucky Film, Motion Picture, and Sound Recording Industry generated around $200 million in revenue in 2022.
Wheeler says an office can help continue to grow revenue.
"The proposed Kentucky Film Office and Senate Bill 1 provides a structure to attract filmmakers to Kentucky and to provide a central location to funnel the energy from our industry leaders," he said.
Currently, applications for the film tax incentive go through the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.
On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear says he will review the bill.
"I've had a quick read, and I don't necessarily have a problem with the structure of it," he said. "I just want to understand how it works because I think Economic Development has also been doing a very good job."
Many supporters of SB 1 showed up for Thursday's committee hearing, such as Soozie Eastman, president and founder of 502 Film.
"And specifically the Louisville area, we have a majority of crew and vendors, so having a unified voice that would go out there and market our most generous film tax incentive would be incredibly beneficial for all of us," she said.
The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.