Filming in California
New Film Noir Thriller Finds Shade Under the California Film Commission's Palms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02/07/2002
Contact: Karen Constine, Director or Karen Caesar, Information Officer
Contact Phone: 323.860.2960
Independent Production, 29 PALMS, Obtains 32K Rebate from the CFC's "Film California First" Incentive Program
Los Angeles -- In the Fall of 2002, Davis Entertainment Filmworks feature-length thriller 29 Palms will be released to audiences nationwide, and according to the film's co-producer Craig Davis Roth, will feature a "terrific sound track" thanks to the California Film Commission's Film California First (FCF) incentive program. The FCF Program saved his production company approximately $32,000 in costs, allowing it to put additional funds into a stronger soundtrack.
Roth learned about the bevy of advantages that the FCF Program offers while visiting the California Film Commission (CFC) in Hollywood. The multi-million dollar program reimburses certain film costs incurred by production companies when filming in the Golden State.
"The Film California First program turned out to be an invaluable resource to us. Not only was it effortless to file for the refund, but we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of the refund," says Roth. "We paid a few bills, then invested the rest into improving the soundtrack. We bought music you could rarely afford on an independent film budget."
"The California Film Commission is doing its job to perfection. As producers of several pictures a year, we used to find ourselves in Canada, Utah or Europe to make our indie film dollars stretch further. Now we can look to shoot in California first," Roth added.
"Each filmmaker finds new and innovative ways to utilize Film California First. It's exciting that the program helps producers both film in California and invest in their project," said Karen Constine, director of the California Film Commission. "This is a great example of how a small-budget feature film benefited from the Film California First program."
The only incentive program of its kind, the FCF program reimbursed 29 Palms' costs for filming on state land in and around the Imperial Valley cities of Palm Springs and Borrego Springs, California, and for the use of park rangers during the 24-day shoot. Essentially, the program reimburses the costs of public labor, excluding local police, and greatly reduces location site fees when filming on public property. Roth's production company may also be reimbursed for most of its location fees, film permit fees, public equipment fees and public employee personnel costs.
Directed by Leonardo Ricagni and filmed partly in Palm Springs, 29 Palms is described by Roth as a "stylish desert noir thriller" about a bag of money that is tracked by a group of "larger than life" characters played by Chris O'Donnell, Rachael Leigh Cook, Michael Rapaport, Bill Pullman and Jeremy Davies.
For more information on the FCF program, visit the California Film Commission's interactive web site at www.filmcafirst.com. Here, production companies can obtain and submit reimbursement applications. Production companies can also access this site to obtain downloadable information and program guidelines.
Additionally, the California Film Commission has implemented a "Documents by Fax" system to ensure FCF program information is also readily available by fax to potential applicants 24 hours a day. Materials are sent automatically by dialing 323.860.2970 directly from a fax machine.
The California Film Commission
The California Film Commission (CFC) enhances California's position as the premiere location for all motion picture and television production. A one-stop shop, the CFC issues permits for filming on state-owned property and administers several incentive programs including Film California First (www.filmcafirst.com), which helps to reduce below-the-line production costs while filming in the Golden State. For more information about the CFC, visit their website at www.film.ca.gov or call 323.860.2960 / 800.858.4PIX (4749).
The California Film Commission is a Division of the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency.