AUSTIN — With a grinning Dennis Quaid standing nearby, Gov. Rick Perry today signed into law a $22 million program offering financial incentives to lure movie production to Texas. While Texas has been the site of a number of films and television shows, it has been losing business the past few years to Louisiana, New Mexico and other states that offer benefits to filmmakers. Some productions have gone to other countries. “I hope one day Texas will be the culture capital of the world,” Perry said. “For now, I’ll take not losing to Louisiana.” Quaid who has starred in films shot in Texas, including “The Alamo” and “The Rookie,” said the program would boost local economies as production crews spend money on construction and in hotels and restaurants. Quaid, who is planning to move to Austin, said he hopes it becomes “the new Hollywood.” Other notable movies and television programs filmed in Texas include “Miss Congeniality,” “Office Space,” “Rushmore” and “Friday Night Lights.”

Lawmakers passed an incentives bill during the 2005 legislative session that would offer producers up to a $750,000 rebate, but it wasn’t funded. Perry helped push the bill for the new program, which was sponsored in the state House by Rep. Dawnna Dukes, an Austin Democrat. Dukes, who joined Perry and Quaid at the ceremonial bill signing at an Austin movie studio, said the fund could go beyond $22 million if the program is successful and state leaders want to spend more money.

To qualify for a grant under the new program, a production company is required to spend at least $1 million in Texas for a film or TV program, or $100,000 for a commercial. At least 80 percent of the project must be filmed in Texas and at least 70 percent of the production, crew and actors and extras must be Texas residents. A grant may not exceed 5 percent of what they spend in Texas, Perry’s office said.

The bill Perry signed also allows the state to reject requests for projects that are deemed to portray a negative image of Texas. Perry said officials would not engage in censorship and called any such concern premature. “We don’t want state money going toward a film that is going to cast Texas in a poor light,” Perry said. According to Perry’s office, the Texas Film Commission is aware of 32 film projects that researched Texas but instead chose other states that offered incentives. Twelve of those movies had story lines set in Texas, but chose to film in New Mexico, Louisiana and Canada.

By JIM VERTUNO
Associated Press