New York TV bill incentivises female directors

Authorities in New York have supported a bill specifically incentivising TV projects filming in the state to hire female and ethnic minority writers and directors.

By Nick Goundry 23 Jun 2017

New York TV bill incentivises female directors
Statue of Liberty

Authorities in New York have supported a bill specifically incentivising TV projects filming in the state to hire female and ethnic minority writers and directors.

Lawmakers have passed the bill through the state Legislature that calls for an annual tax credit fund of up to $5m to incentivise television projects that have writers and directors who are women or of an ethnic minority.

It now needs the signature of the governor of New York before becoming law.

The new bill has been supported by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Writers Guild of America East.

“For years the DGA has pushed the industry to change their imbalanced hiring practices — so that talent, and talent alone, is the defining factor,” said Neil Dudich, eastern executive director of the DGA.

“By encouraging studios, networks and producers to discover the talented New York TV directors and writers that are out there in abundance, this bill can be a meaningful step forward in establishing a level playing field for all.”

The fund would be separate from New York’s existing 30% base filming incentive, which offers $420m a year and was recently extended through to 2022.

“This will ensure stability and predictability for television and motion picture producers that utilize one of the most successful incentive programs worldwide,” said Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, when the tax credit extension was announced.

“New York will continue to create thousands of jobs and add billions of dollars to the New York state economy.”

For more on filming in New York see our production guide.

Main page image: FreeImages.com/Petr Broza. Article image: FreeImages.com/Createsima

It now needs the signature of the governor of New York before becoming law.

The new bill has been supported by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Writers Guild of America East.

“For years the DGA has pushed the industry to change their imbalanced hiring practices — so that talent, and talent alone, is the defining factor,” said Neil Dudich, eastern executive director of the DGA.

“By encouraging studios, networks and producers to discover the talented New York TV directors and writers that are out there in abundance, this bill can be a meaningful step forward in establishing a level playing field for all.”

The fund would be separate from New York’s existing 30% base filming incentive, which offers $420m a year and was recently extended through to 2022.

“This will ensure stability and predictability for television and motion picture producers that utilize one of the most successful incentive programs worldwide,” said Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, when the tax credit extension was announced.

“New York will continue to create thousands of jobs and add billions of dollars to the New York state economy.”

For more on filming in New York see our production guide.

Main page image: FreeImages.com/Petr Broza. Article image: FreeImages.com/Createsima

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