#FeatureFXBG virginia’s finest film destination

by Jenna ELIZABETH eDWARDS

for film and television production. Further details and commonly asked questions about Virginia's incentive program are available via the Virginia Film Office (VFO) website.

The purpose of the Virginia incentive program is to bring business to the Commonwealth and jobs to its citizens. Special consideration, in the form of additional funding, is given to projects that hire Virginia residents, shoot in economically distressed areas of the state, or hire first time film employees, many of whom are recent university graduates of in-state film and new media programs. The total economic impact of the Virginia film industry in 2019 was $862 million with the employment of 5,629 people that same year, according to a study from Mangum Economics, a Richmond-based analytic research firm.

Virginia's film industry is hoping to grow with several proposed bills in the General Assembly for the 2023 session. Thus far, the most successful among these proposals has been the Television

Production Development Grant Program and Fund (SB 937), which was unanimously passed by the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on February 1, 2023. Other legislative initiatives have been tabled until more economic data is available for consideration.

Bringing it home to Fredericksburg, in May 2022, the Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority (EDA) and the Fredericksburg Department of Economic Development and Tourism (EDT) initiated the Fredericksburg Film Incentives Fund, with an initial allocation of $75,000 to bring film tourism to Fredericksburg and to benefit local businesses during productions. The program aims to establish the City of Fredericksburg as a premier destination for film and television by providing financial incentives, in the form of reimbursements, to eligible productions that spend at least $10,000 within the 22401 zip code. The program also aspires to bring 5% of Virginia's yearly film production to the city of Fredericksburg and to provide an outlet for diverse voices to share their cinematic stories.

Detailed eligibility requirements and restrictions, as well as application materials, are available at FredericksburgVA.com. Fredericksburg Tourism Marketing Assistant Ryan Cudahy shares more about his background, as well as his vision for the Film Incentives Program, in the September 2022 Guest Porch Editorial of the Fredericksburg Front Porch Magazine. Cudahy worked on four Virginia based productions - Swagger, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Raymond and Ray, and Dopesick - that the Virginia Film Office reports as having contributed $160 million collectively to the state economy

I have witnessed first-hand the potential impact of film tourism on Fredericksburg. When one of my friends visited downtown for the first time, she exclaimed to me, "You're living in a reallife rom-com or Hallmark film, with how charming it is here!" My mother, who lives in New England, called me up eager to know if I have been to Carl's Frozen Custard after it was featured in a hometown date on ABC's The Bachelor (2018).

Fredericksburg has also appeared in the CBS crime documentary series 48 Hours (2016), HGTV's Tiny House Nation

(2015), and in a couple of historical television programs by National Geographic (2010) and The History Channel (2006) Gods and Generals (2003), an American-pperiod war drama portraying the Civil War, was filmed at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Military Parks Most recently, the romantic comedy First Lady (2020) was produced by the Rappahannock County-bbased Renaissance Women Productions whose production team included Spotsylvania resident and editor Drew Trementozzi

The annual Virginia Screenwriting Competition is accepting screenplay submissions between April 3, 2023 and May 29, 2023. Scripts must take place in Virginia or at locations that could reasonably be found and filmed in Virginia. Let's get a winning submission featuring Fredericksburg, its incredible talent, and all the rich history, culture, and beauty it has to offer!

Learn More: Fredericksburg EDT and Fredericksburg EDA Joint Press Release, "Fredericksburg Film Incentives Policy." May 2022. Available at: www.fredericksburgva.com/DocumentCen ter/View/955/Fredericksburg-FilmIncentives-Policy.

FXBG Destination for Film Production, On the Porch Guest Editorial, Fredericksburg Front Porch Magazine September 2022. iissuu.com/frontporchfredericksburg/docs /fpfsept2022.

Virginia Film Office Incentives, www.film.virginia.org/incentives/.

Learn About Movies and TV Series Filmed in Virginia, www.virginia.org/things-to-do/arts-andentertainment/film/.

Virginia Screenwriting Competition Overview, Rules, Application, and Past Winners, /www.film.virginia.org/virginians/virginiascreenwriting-competition/.

Jenna Elizabeth is a partner of Edwards Law Firm PLLC and a local realtor. She highlights local business owners and community members to showcase why the Fredericksburg region is an amazing place to live.