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Council adopts amended film incentive program to clarify digital distribution, music licensing and CPA review
Summary
The council and Economic Development Trust approved revisions to the city's film incentive program to include digital distribution, define post-production and require third-party CPA review of applications.
The Oklahoma City Council and the city's Economic Development Trust unanimously approved an amended and restated film incentive program that adjusts eligibility and compliance rules for production rebates.
Jill Simpson of the Oklahoma City Film Office said staff spent six months revising the program after experience with ten applications. Revisions add explicit language to include projects distributed on digital platforms and mobile apps, clarify post-production activities (editing, scoring and recording), and add music-licensing language to allow use of locally created music. Simpson said the program now requires each applicant to undergo a third-party CPA review of expenditures before the city issues rebates.
"My position is always gonna be to protect the interests of the city and the taxpayers," Simpson said, explaining that the changes add "teeth" to the program and ensure taxable transactions for goods, services and labor are properly accounted for even when projects shoot outside the city for short periods.
Council voted to approve the joint resolution amending Section 8 of Oklahoma City's general obligation limited tax bond program to incorporate the film incentive changes; the measure passed unanimously.
