The California Film Commission has announced the first round of recipients for feature films and independent projects, bringing back jobs and revenue to California as promised by AB 1839, known as the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act of 2014.

The film tax credit program was spearheaded by Assembly members Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) and Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima).

“We worked tirelessly to create an expanded and improved program that would deliver for California. [This] news is exactly what we hoped for – good, middle class jobs returning to the Golden State,” Gatto said.

The legislation, introduced by Gatto and Bocanegra in January 2014, was co-authored by more than 65 legislators, and received bipartisan support. The bill also had the support of the business and labor community because of its focus on high-wage jobs for below-the-line workers.

The law significantly expanded and improved the state’s film tax incentive program to keep production jobs in California, including a five-year program extension, an increase in the program’s budget allocation to $330 million annually, and the creation of a new competitive jobs rating system to determine which projects will receive the credits.

“I introduced AB 1839 because of the many constituents in my district who told me stories about their families being torn apart because of production fleeing the state,” Gatto added. “This program provides stability for families, certainty to small businesses, and will help our communities thrive.”

The conditionally approved productions include “Chicken Soup For The Soul”, “Action Park”, “Conjuring 2”, “Whale” and “Why Him?”, among others. For information and a complete list of productions, visit www.as-m.ca.gov/gatto.