Steven Feinberg |
Executive director, R.I. Film and Television Office
1. How has the writers strike [which is now resolved] affected film production in Rhode Island? The strike has had a very negative impact on our local Rhode Island economy and our diverse production community. … We not only had a few smaller, locally produced, independent feature films preparing for the end of summer commencement of principal photography, which had to postpone, but we had two major studio films all ready to lift off and start pre-production in mid-July with early October dates to begin actual production.
2. Should the General Assembly increase financial incentives to bring more films to R.I.? When we started our program, we welcomed as much production to Rhode Island as possible, stimulating growth of crew and support vendors. But petty politics soon put a cap on the program, which meant that we had to turn projects away and as a result, additional infrastructure investment. … Thankfully, over the last few years, we have seen an expansion of our annual tax credit allocation. We hope we can continue to raise or eliminate the annual cap and directly bring jobs and joy to the people of Rhode Island.
3. What projects are in the pipeline that you can share once productions begin again? We are obligated to confidentiality until we officially announce via a mutual press release with each production’s studio or network, but we are gearing up for two Hollywood feature films to start once the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild strikes resolve, as well as a couple of independent productions in the spring of 2024.
4. What are some Rhode Island historical and cultural stories that have yet to be explored on film? There are plenty of great Rhode Island stories to tell. Great stories of courage and daring, [such as] Roger Williams’ expulsion from Massachusetts during the brutal winter months and forging a friendship with the Indigenous people of what would become the state of Rhode Island and learning their language and customs, and sadly, the ultimate betrayal that occurred.
5. What are the economic benefits of bringing film productions to R.I.? The new study by Industrial Economics of Cambridge, Mass., concluded that each $1 in a tax credit returned $5.44 of direct economic activity to the state. That’s a substantial positive return on investment. … [When] tourists discover that Rhode Island is home to “Hocus Pocus 2” … they descend upon our state and fill up the hotels and restaurants because they want to see the filmmaking process and get a glimpse of the stars.
