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Group Pushes To Bring Film Company Incentives To Indiana

Last updated on Friday, August 29, 2014

(INDIANAPOLIS) - One of the hits of the summer was “The Faults In Our Stars,” based on the book by Indiana author John Green.

The movie is set in Indianapolis, but it was filmed in Pittsburgh because Pennsylvania offers film companies more incentives.

A local group wants to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Katherine Segal is the vice president of the Indiana Media Production Alliance, which wants to bring production companies to Indiana.

"The incentive is going to do that," Segal said. "It's going to help bring more business, more revenue, a reason to do business here. And it's going to make us competitive because we're losing business to surrounding states."

The incentive would also help Indiana companies by giving them a tax break for hiring Hoosier workers.

"What the IMPA is focusing on, is not to just bringing in out-of-state business, but bolstering in-state business," Segal said. "There's a viable community that's already here. There's people thriving in this business. They just need more work."

The IMPA has an outline for this proposed incentive.

It would give production companies a 30 percent credit for expenses paid in Indiana.

It would increase to 40 percent for expenses paid for hiring Hoosier workers.

There would be a limit of $7.5 million per production, and the incentive would not have a set expiration date.

The IMPA said this incentive would make Indiana competitive with neighboring states.

Indiana had a previous tax incentive in place, but it expired in 2011.

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