Pittsburgh Film Office News
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Having depended on the kindness of strangers, not to mention a few friends, to stay open in recent years, the Pittsburgh Film Office is looking at rolling the credits on its operation if someone doesn’t come to its rescue pretty soon. Dawn Keezer, the film office director, said Friday the nonprofit office, which works to bring productions to southwestern Pennsylvania, may have to shut down Dec. 15 if some kind of funding isn’t forthcoming.
“We’ll just be closed,” she said. “We’ll be unemployed.”
In the past, the film office has managed to attract movies such as “Silence of the Lambs,” “Bob Roberts,” “Inspector Gadget” and “Wonder Boys.”
Last year, it played a role in getting “The Mothman Prophecies” filmed in the area, and the season premiere of “The West Wing” featured western Pennsylvania as well.
Until a couple of years ago, the office relied on a slice of Allegheny County’s hotel-motel tax for the biggest chunk of its budget, which is now about $400,000.
When lawmakers decided to build a pair of new sports stadiums and a new convention center in Pittsburgh, that money was needed to help pay off bonds, leaving the film office largely unfunded, said Keezer.
The office stayed open, in part, through $100,000 provided by the state’s film office and money coming through local legislators.
Early this year, it appeared that the office would have to close by September, but $120,000 raised through an Oscar night gala kept it alive.
Now, with the coffers almost empty again, there is still no answer how the office will survive, Keezer said.
On Thursday, the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce announced a plan to attract people – and donations – to something called “Friends of the Film Office.” For a fee, members will get invitations to film office parties and lectures, not to mention free passes to selected movie screenings and previews.
Barbara McNees, the chamber’s president, said the goal is to raise $100,000 to keep the office going.
Why would the chamber get involved? A report by the film office says the production of movies, TV programs and commercials has been responsible for pumping some $155 million into the regional economy over the last seven years.
“The film office is a business that directly contributes to the vibrancy of this region and deserves to be recognized for its contribution,” McNees said.
Meanwhile, county Chief Executive Jim Roddey says it is possible that, if the state legislature and County Council approve a 3 percent tax on car rentals for the Sports & Exhibition Authority, that agency can fund the $300,000 the film office is looking for.
The car rental tax would be worth more than $3 million a year.
“We’ll see,” said Keezer, whose office has four full-time employees. “We’d be thrilled to take it.”
The office says the business of attracting films has become much more competitive in recent years, particularly with some states – such as Oklahoma – and nations including Canada and Australia offering strong incentives to filmmakers.
In the meantime, funding for some offices has fallen off; at least one office, in St. Louis, has closed.
Without someone to promote the 10-county region in southwestern Pennsylvania as a site for productions, most filmmakers simply won’t come, Keezer said.
“Pittsburgh will be stepping out of the competition,” she said.
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On the Net:
Pittsburgh Film Office: http://www.pghfilm.org