Film News
The latest incentives push shows promise; Swingtown seeks extras
By Joe O'Connell, Fri., March 2, 2007
Incentives push gets a bill (or two)
The Texas film-incentives push finally has a bill. Well, two of them, actually. State Rep. Dawnna Dukes of Austin is the sponsor of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance-backed House Bill 1634, which offers up to $10 million a year in incentives for two years. Eligible projects must spend more than $10 million in Texas and can receive up to $1.5 million back based on 20% of the wages they pay to Texans. Episodic television series (Austin-shot Friday Night Lights and Metroplex-lensed Prison Break, for instance) that spend at least $10 million locally could get up to $2 million each. In its current form, the proposal leaves smaller indie films out in the cold. But expect much wrangling in coming weeks to increase the total amount of incentives offered and perhaps lower that cap. Bob Deuell of Greenville is the Senate sponsor. Oh, that second House bill was filed by Rep. Jim Pitts (you'll remember him as the pretender to the House speaker throne). It's a duplicate minus some late provisions added to the Dukes bill, including exempting pornographic films from the mix. Meanwhile, the Texas Motion Picture Alliance is gearing up for its lobby day at the Capitol this coming Tuesday, when there will be a House hearing. You can find more details at www.txmpa.org. The group's formal legislative agenda includes supporting projects with a budget of at least $1 million in the incentives plan.
Extra! Extra! Mid-March is swingin'
So, you've already gone to Waterloo Video and secured your $65 Southwest by Southwest Film Festival pass. Perhaps you've polished your boots for the rodeo. What's left? Get groovy with CBS pilot Swingtown, which is interviewing male and female extras from ages 18-40 for high school scenes as well as adult scenes this Friday and Saturday for filming from March 12 to 19 (the high school scenes during spring break, natch). Come by 501 N. I-35 between 10am and 5pm on March 2 or 3 dressed as a Seventies hipster, and expect to get your photo taken. More info at www.bethsepkocasting.com.
And the rest ...
It looks likely that independent film Kings of the Evening will alight hereabouts soon after Los Angeles-based Picture Palace films flirted with a Georgia shoot last year. Said to be based on actual events, the story is set in an urban Deep South ghetto during the Great Depression "where despairing men fight for dignity and self-respect by competing in an underground contest like no other"… TV Junkie, the gripping documentary of addiction that premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and played to strong reviews at SXSW last March, shows up on HBO later this month… Speaking of the boob tube, the TV Guide Channel is shooting a reality show in Odessa about the behind-the-scenes world of TV news at the local CBS affiliate.Send tips to [email protected]
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