Letter to Florida's U.S. Senators and Members of Congress
Dear (Florida Senators and Members of Congress)
We are a Florida coalition comprising local crew, actors, directors, film commissioners, producers, and vendors who represent the thousands of creative professionals, technicians, and artists who power the film and television industry in our state.
We write today in support of a federal tax incentive for film and television productions, which would ignite Florida’s entertainment economy, while helping create more than 147,000 jobs annually nationwide and add more than $255 billion to the American economy. More than forty countries around the world have implemented meaningful national-level tax policies in recent years and are now collectively the location for a majority of global production – a position the U.S. held firmly for nearly a century. States have attempted to compete in this global marketplace with their own local incentive programs. While effective, they are limited and inconsistent and cannot restore nation-level competitiveness.
The U.S. has quickly lost its dominant position as the location of choice, with its share of global production already falling to less than 40% and estimated to drop to less than 30% by 2035.
The promising news is that more than a half-trillion dollars in global production spending is expected during the next decade. Without a national incentive policy, however, our domestic industry will miss out on the vast majority of it. A U.S. federal tax incentive would immediately change this math and promises to deliver a majority of global production activity back to the U.S.
Florida’s natural beauty, historic locations, and unparalleled culture have attracted a long and proud history of filmmaking. From recent productions to classic films, the entire world has seen our state in such projects as Dolphin Tale 1 &2, Cocoon, Bad Monkey (TV), Magic Mike, Marley & Me, Miami Vice (TV), Bad Boys, Burn Notice (TV), Moonlight, Bloodline (TV), The Infiltrator, Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children, The Florida Project, Edward Scissorhands, True Lies, Hallmark Channel films like - A Taste of Love, Love in the Sun, and hundreds more.
The film and television industry supports almost 142,157 Florida jobs, with $9.5 billion in wages statewide, including both direct jobs, such as crew, and indirect jobs, including caterers, lumber mills, and restaurants. The industry paid $435.2 million to 5,399 vendors in 2024, and since 2019, film and TV companies have paid an average of $336.8 million to local Florida vendors.
We know that when a production comes to town, the benefit lands on Main Street with the lumberyard, the diner, the hardware store, the hotel, and the families who work them. With each film averaging $22.8 million in spending and television series averaging $50 million, local communities throughout Florida understand the dramatic impact of film and television production. For example, the TV series, Bloodline, which filmed in the Florida Keys, contributed an estimated $91 million in production and tourism spending and more than 1,700 jobs during its first season. The feature film Tomorrowland contributed $7 million in spending to the economy, including nearly $4.5 million in wages to more than 600 local workers.
Film and television production is an iconic American success story, driving tremendous economic activity, recording a positive balance of trade, and supporting millions of jobs each year. The film, television, and streaming economy supports over 2 million American jobs and pays over $200 billion in wages annually. Moreover, the industry comprises 162,000 total businesses in all 50 states—93% of which are small businesses employing ten or fewer people.
America invented the global entertainment industry. But today we are the only major production nation that defends it without a national incentive, and we are losing ground. We can and must do more to compete because the opportunity is enormous.
A federal film incentive will swiftly reverse recent trends that have seen high-value productions shoot in foreign lands. Indeed, a recently released economic report finds that if the U.S. share of production returns to 65% from where it rests today at 45.5%, it will add over $255 billion to America’s economy and create over 147,000 jobs annually.
America can reclaim its dominant position in the global film and television production economy. While Florida has stepped up with several regional-level incentives, a federal incentive is needed to restore competitiveness with successful policies being adopted in foreign countries.
America recently gathered to recognize its 250th Anniversary, and iconic films shot in Florida, from Apollo 13, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bad Boys, Adaptation, Godfather Part 2, Caddyshack, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon were celebrated to commemorate and honor our nation. Now is the time to join forces and reinvigorate our great tradition of American storytelling and global cultural and economic leadership. This effort is fundamentally about creating new jobs and opportunities in America, including here in Florida.
We urge you to contact Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) to recommend urgent passage of a federal incentive, and we respectfully request a Zoom meeting with [Elected Official] to discuss this urgent request.
Sincerely,