San Francisco Film Commission says high costs are keeping filmmakers away from the city
Paul Kmiec moved from Boston to San Francisco nearly 10 years ago, with a camera in one hand and a dream in the other.
"San Francisco is a magical city," Kmiec told CBS News Bay Area. "Regardless of its issues, its very tortured place, that's actually part of the appeal, is that it's an incredibly complicated place."
As a San Francisco-based filmmaker, he has written and directed seven short films. He is also leading the Santa Cruz Film Festival this year.
While nearly 400 miles away from Hollywood, Kmiec found his own set with the magical backdrop of the Bay Area.
"This was a fun little campy, tarot card music video, shot between here and Davenport in Santa Cruz," he said.
He is also working on a short San Francisco-based horror film, "She Said, Yes," along with Oakland-based filmmaker and screenwriter Lauren M. James.
"A messed-up film about a messed-up relationship," he said.
Kmiec said that in a time when filmmaking in San Francisco is slowly on the rebound, it is important to focus on its roots.
"San Francisco, the film scene itself, is very small, it's very familial. Everyone is trying to help each other, no one is cutthroat," he said.
"Now is the opportunity during this disruptive time to protect cinema, to protect filmmaking, to protect the fact that it is an economy of its own," he added.
San Francisco isn't camera-shy.
Films like "Venom," "The Matrix Resurrections," "Ant-Man," and "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" all used the beautiful backdrop of the city.
Just a few days ago, there has also been sighting of a production crew in the Mission District. Film industry leaders are looking forward to more production happening citywide, especially after the pandemic.
"Saw with the pandemic, there's been a decline of production. There was also union negotiations that had really paused production for a while," Manijeh Fata, the executive director of Film SF, the San Francisco Film Commission, told CBS News Bay Area.
She added that the expensive price tag to film in the city also pushes talent away from the state.
"There are productions that will often be set here, but they're shooting in Vancouver, they're shooting in Australia, they're shooting in Atlanta," she said.
But the city has been offering the Scene in San Francisco Rebate Program, where crews film in the city and get up to $600,000 back for their expenses.
"Five independent films used our incentive program, which was the most that we've seen since 2013 that used our incentive. And I think that's really signaling that independent films are really essential to our state, to our region," Fata said.
She adds that she is optimistic with two state bills on the floor right now, SB 630 and AB 1138, that push for higher film tax refund statewide.
"The tax credit right now is about 20 to 25%. And that doesn't compete nationally or internationally to drive business here. So, they're increasing it to up to 35%, and then there's an uplift if you shoot outside a Los Angeles studio sound. It's always been there, 5%. In San Francisco, we're asking for some key amendments to this bill to really bring more business to San Francisco," Fata said.
She added that they are asking for a 10% uplift for shooting outside of the 30-mile Los Angeles studio zone.
"If anything, what we need to change the perception is being expensive. I mean, we are, we don't compare to areas like Vancouver or Australia, where you can have better exchange rates. Things cost maybe lower, so we that's why try to have an attractive incentive," she said.
And filmmakers like Kmiec agree, adding that San Francisco should become a hub for independent filmmakers.
"Recognizing and rewarding filmmaking as that first and foremost, crucial, cultural asset. It's not only about capital. And you can make both things work," he said.
He added that in a time where AI and technology are emerging, he hopes the industry can focus on its roots.
"It's a place that's functioning between the ghost of what it was and the new gods presiding over it and redirecting it," Kmiec said.
As the executive director of the Santa Cruz Film Festival this year, he is pushing for more collaboration with nearby cities.
"Bring Santa Cruz efforts into the city, we want to learn down in Santa Cruz and Greater Monterey Bay area how to incentivize filmmakers to shoot there," Kmiec said.
And he said he hopes that with this greater push, it will help San Francisco continue to be a beautiful backdrop in the film industry worldwide.
