San Francisco rolls out the red carpet for Hollywood, sees boost in film and TV production
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco is seeing a surge in film and television production, with city-permitted productions up 28% this year compared with last year, according to the San Francisco Film Commission.
Manijeh Fata, executive director of the San Francisco Film Commission, said the increase in production activity has generated more than $32 million in direct local spending. The spending includes hotel bookings, restaurant visits and support for local artists, creatives and crew members.
"I think there's this incredible momentum in shooting in San Francisco," Fata said.
Across 555 shoot days, productions supported thousands of local crew hires, 5,630 SAG-AFTRA bookings and 4,303 hotel room nights.
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Fata said San Francisco's appeal as a filming destination extends beyond its well-known scenery.
"We are one of the most beautiful city in the world, the most cinematic cities in the world," Fata said.
A major factor behind the increase in production is the $1 million cash rebate, which was recently updated, for filming in San Francisco. The incentive is designed to help the city compete with emerging film hubs across the country.
"We need to make it make sense financially and that's what we've really done. With a competitive state incentive, and we have our own city incentive that we modernized earlier this year. It's made San Francisco more competitive to shoot in," Fata said.
Fata said the increased production activity could also bring greater recognition to films shot in the city.
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"I have a prediction SF will be at the Oscars. We have, last year, some incredible films shot in SF, like 'Artificial,' 'The Invite,' 'Josephine.' Those are some incredible films that could be Oscar contenders," Fata said.
She said continued incentives could lead to even more productions choosing San Francisco and bring occasional celebrity sightings for residents.
"People said they saw Ted Danson walking around. We had Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen, and I don't know what's to come. I think that's one of the fun benefits of having productions and TV shows in town," Fata said.
Fata said she expects film and television production in San Francisco to continue growing as the city works to remain competitive in attracting projects.
