Film credit bill could bode well for Peoria students

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

The Arizona State Legislature is considering getting back into the film credit game to lure productions here, and this potentially bodes well for Huntington University students in Peoria.

A new bill going through the legislature would create the Arizona Motion Picture Production Program, which would give up to $150 million in individual and corporate tax credits annually for movie projects that are produced in this state or that use local production facilities.

Jeff Berggren, director of Arizona operations for Huntington University, said the school’s film production faculty and many students have been following the developments of this bill with meaningful interest. The potential of more major film production projects coming to Arizona would benefit HU students, which largely are from the West Valley, he said.

The bill has been passed by the Senate and awaits a vote in the House.

“[The Arizona Commerce Authority] has stressed that in addition to tax credits and incentives, major productions are looking for a large pool of skilled crew members. The hands-on approach throughout the film program at HU not only produces national award-winning student projects, but also prepares those students for multiple roles on the professional film set,” Berggren said.

To receive the incentive, a movie production would be required to primarily film in Arizona.

Projections show Arizona could receive a credit for up to 27.5% of production costs if a company spends more than $35 million in Arizona and meets other requirements, according to the proposed bill.

HU has more than 60 film production students, many of whom have won awards for their work. HU students have nine short films that will screen in this year’s Phoenix Film Festival March 31-April 10.

Phil Wilson, program director and assistant professor of film at HU, said if the bill is approved it would open up work for the film students and graduates of the school.

“But right now, the unfortunate thing is that many of them, if they want to work in narrative filmmaking, they will have to go elsewhere — to New Mexico, Georgia, or LA. I have personally witnessed this happen,” Wilson said. “Many would be happy to stay near their families and live and work in Arizona if it became a more established hub for film and TV.”

British Columbia, Canada offers a film tax credit plan that in fiscal year 2019-20 brought in an estimated $3.6 billion and 411 productions, according to Creative BC.

Films that have shot in Vancouver include Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and 50 Shades of Grey, according to IMDB.

Wilson said the industry is in a Golden Age of television, and it is only getting bigger, with more and more streaming platforms launched every day.

New TV shows shot in the Vancouver area include “Peacemaker,” “Space Force” and “Yellowjackets.” Long running shows that have shot in and around the city include “House,” “X Files,” “Supernatural” and “Criminal Minds,” according to IMDB.

Arizona had a film tax credit program more than 10 years ago.

Wilson said Vancouver, British Columbia is proof that tax credit programs work.

“I worked for an agency in Seattle, Washington, and saw the region get passed over so many times in favor of Vancouver, simply because of tax credits. Imagine something like ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ being filmed in Vancouver. But that’s what happens — producers go where they can get the biggest tax breaks, and cities lose the economic infusion that productions bring from coming to town,” he said.

Wilson added that these tax credits represent Arizona’s opportunity not only to get a slice of that industrial/economic pie but also take pride in movies that take place in Arizona that were actually shot in Arizona.

Movies that take place in Arizona that were not shot in Arizona include: “Thelma and Louise,” “Pump up the Volume,” “Wyatt Earp,” the most recent productions of “3:10 to Yuma” and “A Star Is Born,” as well as “Only the Brave,” about the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed during the Yarnell Hill fire in 2013.

“I think it should be a point of pride that no other state is ‘cheated’ to represent Arizona on the world’s biggest stage,” Wilson said.

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria
@PhilipHaldiman

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.