Film crews staged in the parking lot next to the former Johnie’s Coffee Shop and 99 Cents Only Store at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue on Aug. 30-Sept. 2 during filming of a commercial for Sony at the Academy Museum. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Burbank) highlighted efforts to establish a national film tax credit, citing new optimism after President Donald Trump on Aug. 31 encouraged Congressional representatives from both sides of the aisle to pass legislation to create the tax credit.

“I am in strong agreement with the president. Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries,” Schiff said. “Let’s work together – Republicans and Democrats – to get this done, and bring the movie magic back to America.”

“I agree that our tax incentive legislation needs to pass – and to pass quickly,” Friedman said. “For more than a year, I’ve been sitting down with Jon Voight, Congressional colleagues, the unions, studios and producers to build the case for a national film and television tax credit. There’s no reason Canada, the U.K. or Australia should be taking our jobs. We still have the best crews on the planet. It’s time we made it possible for them to stay where they belong: in America.”

Trump called on lawmakers to work together on bipartisan legislation for film production tax incentives after meeting on Aug. 31 with Voight, who serves as special ambassador to Hollywood for the administration. The announcement was met with widespread support.

Schiff highlighted efforts to build bipartisan support for his federal film incentive proposal, which would promote American jobs and spur local economic growth by creating additional support for film and television production in the United States. The proposal would further assist states in competing with incentives offered by other countries, doubling the incentives with a stackable federal credit.

Friedman has recently met with Voight, Congressional colleagues including Schiff, the Motion Pictures Association and labor groups representing film industry workers in Washington, D.C. to build support for a national film tax credit. In April, she was lead author of a letter to the Motion Picture Association calling on production companies to keep film and television productions in Los Angeles.

The call for a national film tax credit also received support from film industry unions.

“A federal film and television production incentive will help bring more productions and thousands of jobs back to the United States, while creating new opportunities for entertainment professionals and the many businesses that support our industry in communities across the country,” SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a joint statement. “We urge Congress to act swiftly on the president’s call. SAG-AFTRA stands ready to work with the administration, Congress and our industry partners to turn this momentum into concrete policy that delivers more production and good union jobs here at home.”

“The Teamsters proudly represent tens of thousands of American workers who built our film and television industry, and who depend on production work returning to this country and thriving once again nationwide,” said Sean M. O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. “Our union is ready to work with all elected officials committed to supporting a Federal Production Incentive. Let’s get to work and get it done!”