A group of Montana filmmakers, businesses and supporters are joining together to encourage the legislature to approve another bipartisan round of tax credits for media productions produced in the state.
Yellowstone Public Radio’s Orlinda Worthington shares why the group is undertaking this first-of-its kind endeavor.
“We went from a couple of hundred jobs to over a thousand full time jobs in the film industry.”
Lynn-Wood Fields is a 13 year veteran of filmmaking in the state and president of the Montana Media Coalition. The numbers she shares on film industry growth encompass the years since 2019 when the legislature passed the Montana Economic Development Industry Advancement Act, or Media Act for short.
“We went from about 40 productions to the recent economic report is 167 in ‘22 and ‘24. Our total economic impact went from 47. 6 million to 312. 2 million,” Fields said.
The Media Act incentive gives production companies tax credits for every dollar they spend in Montana. The numbers are tracked and compiled by the state film office. The program then allows productions to both use the credit and sell any excess credits to another taxpayer. The legislation extends through 2029, but the 12 million dollar a year cap on the tax credits have already been accounted for.
“Which means our industry will pretty much die if we don't get a cap raise. Already I have a lot of producers calling me and saying, sorry, we can't film in Montana. We're going to have to go back to New Mexico and Canada,” Fields said.
In 2023, the legislature denied a request to extend the Media Act. Fields says the newly formed group hopes to hire a lobbyist for the 2025 legislative session and educate lawmakers and the public through advocacy and networking by holding public events around the state.
“People just haven't met Montana filmmakers who are raising their families here, who are constituents, who are paying property taxes, and so that's really our goal in the coalition is meet your local Montana filmmaker,” Fields said.
Information on events and more can be found at Montana-Media-Coalition-dot-org.
In Billings, I’m Orlinda Worthington.
