If you’ve ever been watching a movie that is set in D.C. (like the latest “Die Hard” or Kevin Costner in “No Way Out”) and thought to yourself, “Wait, there’s no subway in Georgetown,” or “Hey isn’t that Baltimore?” you’d be right. The fact is, filmmakers say it’s too expensive and there’s too much red tape involved to make it worth filming in the District.
Even some D.C.-based producers don’t even like shooting here. BET Network’s chief financial officer told the D.C. Council’s small and local business committee on Wednesday that the No. 1 cable network among African Americans does most of its filming in Georgia.
“Over the last five years, we have filmed more than 25 series in Georgia, each costing millions,” Michael Pickrum told the council committee.
Georgia offers a 25 percent rebate on production spending through its film incentive fund. The District has about $16,000 in its incentive fund and has no clear rebate policy yet for film producers.
