Studios, labor groups, guilds, film commissioners and entertainment organizations are lining up behind a new national push to bring more film and television production to the United States.
The U.S. Film & TV Production Coalition launched Tuesday as supporters of a federal production incentive released a new economic study projecting major gains from a proposed 20% federal tax credit that could be combined with existing state incentives. The study, conducted by consultancy Olsberg SPI and commissioned by the Motion Picture Association, looks at potential impacts from 2027 through 2035.
According to the report, the proposed incentive could generate $249.1 billion in total gross value-added contribution across the U.S. economy during that period, support an average of 143,500 full-time equivalent jobs annually and produce $133.1 billion in additional total labor income. It also projects $125.3 billion in additional production expenditures.
The coalition’s arrival marks a coordinated industry effort around an incentive that has gained new momentum in Washington. The push accelerated after President Donald Trump posted support for the measure on social media in August following a meeting with Jon Voight, described in the source material as his Hollywood special ambassador.
MPA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin was set to present the report at a press conference alongside Rep. Brian Jack (R-GA), Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA), DGA’s Thomas Schlamme, IATSE’s Matthew D. Loeb, International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ Sean M. O’Brien and SAG-AFTRA’s Sean Astin.
“Sixty-five countries have decided it’s worth competing for film and television production. The United States hasn’t, and too many Americans have lost their jobs because of it,” Friedman said. “Every production that goes overseas takes electricians, carpenters, drivers, and small business revenue with it. A national film tax credit [is] a commonsense, bipartisan fix, and I’ll keep working to get it done.”
The Olsberg SPI study is based on a 20% transferable tax credit for qualifying expenditures and an industry proposal using spending forecasts from 2027 to 2035. Its projections are informed by historical data and recent budget analysis, and draw on third-party data from ProdPro, the Congressional Budget Office, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, FilmLA and the MPA.
The report lays out two sharply different scenarios for U.S. production share. Without the incentive, it assumes the country’s location share continues its recent gradual decline, reaching 25% for film and 29% for television by 2035. With the incentive, it assumes the U.S. share rises to 65%, hitting that level by 2030 for film and 2032 for TV, then holding there.
The study also notes that the additional spending could include net new production from both foreign and domestic productions, indicating that supporters see the proposed credit as a way to attract international work as well as retain U.S.-originated projects.
Labor and industry groups rally behind the proposal
DGA National Executive Director Russell Hollander called a stackable federal tax incentive “critical for ensuring that the United States remains a competitive marketplace for production.” He said the guild has been working with leaders in Washington to advance the issue through legislation and looks forward to working with the administration and Congress on a bipartisan bill.
O’Brien also framed the issue in labor terms. “America should be producing American movies. And American workers should be doing the work. President Trump has called on Republicans and Democrats to come together on a new federal film and television incentive,” he said. “It will require bipartisan support, which is a good thing, because this should not be about party politics. The Teamsters will aggressively support legislation that works for American workers and helps bring productions back home.”
Rivkin said the report shows the potential reach of a federal incentive across the country. “A federal incentive would be a gamechanger for our industry,” he said. “This study tells us that we can bring more opportunities to life for people in all 50 states who bring great stories to life — the casts and crews, the set builders, construction workers, truck drivers, caterers, and more. That’s precisely what’s bringing President Trump, Republicans and Democrats in Congress, studios and unions and all of us together: the need to leave a positive and enduring imprint on American creativity and America’s economy.”
Legislation currently being drafted calls for the 20% transferable tax credit, with additional 5% uplifts for labor costs incurred in a Federal Emergency Management Agency-declared disaster area and for independent production companies. The study said the minimum spend would be $1 million.
What happens next?
Supporters had hoped to introduce a bill this month, but timing remains an issue because of the limited number of days left in the legislative session before the midterms. That calendar pressure is part of what is driving the coalition’s public launch now.
The U.S. Film & TV Production Coalition’s members include Voight, the DGA, PGA, SAG-AFTRA, WGA West and East, IATSE, IBT, Association of Talent Agents, CreativeFuture, Coalition for American Production, FilmUSA, Future Film Coalition, Independent Film & Television Alliance, Laborers International Union of North America, MPA, National Association of Voice Actors, NCTA – The Internet and Television Association, Producers United and the Television Academy.