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New Florida Film Incentive Program Gets Second Hearing

Eric Deggans, NPR's TV critic, talked to Matthew Peddie about network television and recommendations for shows we might have missed. Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
Eric Deggans, NPR's TV critic, talked to Matthew Peddie about network television and recommendations for shows we might have missed. Photo: Flickr Creative Commons

Some state lawmakers want to put Florida back on the silver screen by revamping the state’s film incentive program. Senator Nancy Detert of Venice is sponsoring such a bill. It gets a second hearing Thursday.

Detert says she’s tired of seeing films about Florida slip away to other states with better incentives.

In 2010, the Florida Legislature put forward about $260 million in incentives. The money was supposed to last six years, but ran out halfway through.

Now, Detert is going back to the drawing board. “We’re going to have an empowered film commissioner that can field projects and say, ‘This is a good one, this is not a good one,’” she said.

“What killed our process here was ‘first come, first served,’” said Detert of the previous film incentive program’s approach. “You’re not getting the best project, you’re getting the first one through the door.”

Detert has attached her proposal to the state Senate’s economic development bill. It has the support of other senators such as Jack Latvala of Clearwater.