State considers incentives to lure film industry

The Nutmeg State is not normally associated with movie magic, but legislators want to change that.

In her State of the State speech last month, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she wants to "spur the lucrative economic opportunities associated with the entertainment industry."

Spearheaded by state House Speaker of the House Jim Amann, DMilford, the proposal includes a 25 percent investor tax credit and a 30 percent production credit for film and media companies that use Connecticut as a location.

"We have the talent, the producers, the directors and actors who live in Connecticut and who want to work here," Amann said.

Film producer Carl Borack said he considered filming "Saving Shiloh," the third in a series of children's films, in Connecticut last year but instead chose Missouri, which offers tax incentives for motion picture companies filming in the state.

"When you make a low-budget film, every dollar counts," Borack said in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles office. The savings from the tax incentive allowed for three extra days of shooting for the $2 million budget movie, he said.