This browser does not support the Video element.
Wisconsin state budget passes new film, television incentives
The new Wisconsin state budget provides funding for a new film office and a $5 million tax incentive program.
MILWAUKEE - Gov. Tony Evers signed the state budget for 2025-2027 into law last week, and it could be a game changer for filmmakers.
Wisconsin on the map
What we know:
Most television shows and movies are filmed in California, Georgia, or outside the country, often due to tax incentives and diverse locations. But now, more television and movie shoots could soon be on the way to the state.
When Evers signed the budget last week, it included a victory for Wisconsin filmmakers. It established a state film office within the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, and launched a $5 million tax incentive program for film and television productions to be shot in the state.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
This received bipartisan support before the governor signed it into law.
A local impact
Local perspective:
Nathan Deming is a writer and director based in Eau Claire and Los Angeles.
"It was kind of like a movie in the way it played out. It was out of the budget, it was back in the budget," Deming said. "We’re just at this historical moment basically, where the jobs are leaving Hollywood, and they’re going around the globe, wherever these tax incentives are."
While working on his own projects, he advocated for this change.
"When productions come to town, they spend a lot of money, locals are happy, local businesses are happy," he said.
Before the budget was signed, advocates say Wisconsin was one of 13 states without film incentives and one of three without a state film office.
Advocates said it put filmmakers in Wisconsin at a disadvantage.
Suzanne Jurva has helped create Oscar-winning films, seen by millions around the globe. She believes the funding for the incentives will be available in January 2026 and she said it won't be a handout.
Wisconsin Senate passes state budget in rush to help hospitals
The Wisconsin Senate passed a compromise state budget on a bipartisan vote Wednesday in a race to approve a deal reached between Gov. Tony Evers and majority Republicans.
"We need it to stay competitive," Jurva said. "What a film office does, it’s the first touch and look for producers, studios, directors when they’re trying to find a place to shoot their film."
States like Georgia, Louisiana and Illinois have all benefited from similar but larger programs.
"My hope is that film productions come here, they will have to hire Wisconsin residents," Jurva said. "They will have to hire people with a Wisconsin LLC."
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Wisconsin filmmakers want to be a part of the action.
"To all the Hollywood producers out there, come film here. It’s amazing here," Deming said. "We’ve got beaches, we’ve got cities, we’ve got farmland, we’ve got the Driftless Area, we have the Apostle Islands. You don’t have any excuses anymore. Just come. Come film here."
Next steps
What's next:
Advocates are still working to find the perfect person to run the Wisconsin film office.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.