Red carpet event in Baton Rouge shines spotlight on film tax program

Thanks to the Louisiana Film Tax Incentive Program launched in 2002, the state has skyrocketed into the third most productive film nexus in the nation behind Hollywood and New York.

Currently, about 14,000 jobs are directly or indirectly supported by the film industry in Louisiana, and in the New Orleans area alone, film production spending reached a level equivalent to the amount of money brought in during four Mardi Gras celebrations.

That progress, that infusion of money, and that change in perception about what it means to do business in New Orleans and Louisiana is threatened this legislative session, however, by Bill 161, which aims to reduce the amount of income tax credit for state-certified productions and remove authority to transfer or sell motion picture investor tax credits.

Tuesday night in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association will celebrate the state’s film industry while warning of the potentially negative consequences of Bill 161 with a “Laissez Louisiana Film Roulez” red carpet event at Celtic Studios (Stage 5), 10000 Celtic Drive. The event is not open to the public, but is planned to raise awareness of the issue.

A-listers like Wendell Pierce (Treme, The Wire) and Allison Brie (Mad Men, Search Party) will stroll the red carpet from 6 to 7 p.m., with other names like Brad Pitt, John Goodman, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey on the invite list. The party, featuring food, libations, live music and eye catching décor, will roll till 10.

The Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association plays a substantive role in Louisiana’s entertainment industry, an industry defined by various sectors including film, music, digital media and live performance. The association works to bring together the individual working in the entertainment industry with businesses invested in Louisiana.

For more information on Tuesday’s event, Bill 161 and the LFEA, visit http://www.LFEA.org.

Brian Friedman writes about Hollywood South for NolaVie.