House Bill 1664 threatens to close the New Hampshire Film & Television Office

House Bill 1664 (HB1664), “an act making appropriations reductions in the operating budget for fiscal year 2011 and relative to state revenues and expenditures,” has been introduced to the New Hampshire House of Representatives and, along with numerous other state programs, threatens to completely shut down the New Hampshire Film & Television Office.

The original form of the bill proposed to cut up to $76 million in state funding, however, the House Finance Committee earlier this week unanimously agreed to a revised proposal which now cuts $47 million, including eliminating the entire $113,000 budget of the one-person Film & Television Office. The bill has reported out of committee and is scheduled to hit the House floor for a vote next Wednesday, where it is expected to pass.

The bill will then move on to the Senate. Concurrently, the Senate has introduced its own budget bills for consideration and word has it that the Film & Television Office is currentlynot included in these proposals. Once the Senate has approved its version of the budget, a committee of conference will meet and work on a final proposal of cuts. As the committee of conference will be made up of members of both the House and the Senate, it is important that members of New Hampshire’s film and television industry contact their representatives and senators and convey the importance of keeping our state’s Film & Television Office infrastructure intact.

Your testimonials are important. Let your legislators know about the impact the New Hampshire Film & Television Office has had on your work in the Granite State. We’ve heard from many of you who have said that referrals from the Film Office Production Directory have resulted in numerous job opportunities, and there are many other stories about how the New Hampshire Film & Television Office has affected the industry in positive ways. Please forward those experiences along to your elected officials.

You can find your legislator here

Here are some important facts about the New Hampshire Film & Television Office. Please share them with your elected officials:

• From July 2008 to June 2009, the New Hampshire Film & Television Office helped bring in an estimated total production spend of just over $1,000,000 into New Hampshire. That’s $82.30 for every $1 spent to fund the New Hampshire Film & Television Office. (This is a conservative estimate and does not apply any kind of economic impact multiplier.)
• In 2000, the New Hampshire Film & Television Office Production Directory listed 46 production companies doing business in the state. In 2010, our directory currently lists 100 production companies, up from 46 in 2000 – an increase of 117%.
• There are currently 438 professional media production individuals and companies listed in our directory – taxpayers who are currently being served by the New Hampshire Film & Television Office.
• During Fiscal Year 2009, the New Hampshire Film & Television Office responded to 104 production-related inquiries.

Please feel free to contact the New Hampshire Film & Television Office at 603-271-2220 or via email at film@nh.gov should you have any questions, or visit us on the Web at www.nh.gov/film.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Van McLeod
Commissioner
State of New Hampshire
Department of Cultural Resources

Matthew W. Newton
Director
State of New Hampshire
Film & Television Offic

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