Lawrenceburg council tables $400,000 movie funding request pending contract

Lawrenceburg — Filmmakers and city staff outlined a proposal Dec. 1 for the city to earmark $400,000 in marketing funds to support production of a planned feature film, but the Common Council voted to table the request until a formal contract is drafted and reviewed.

Presenters described the project as a sports drama set in a small town that could showcase Lawrenceburg locations. City legal counsel said the city would seek contract terms that secure a repayment priority — a so-called "waterfall" ensuring the city is repaid first — and recommended staged disbursements tied to documented milestones. “This is a $400,000 estimated budget, with estimated revenue of $2,000,000,” the attorney said, adding the revenue figure is an estimate not a guarantee.

Council members repeatedly asked for specifics and contractual guarantees. One council member said it was hard to vote without a contract and expressed concern about potential precedent for other local filmmakers seeking public funds. Council debate focused on three points: where the money would come from (marketing funds or an additional appropriation), what guarantees would ensure repayment, and how to preserve oversight (progress milestones and city representation at production meetings).

After discussion, a motion to delay any commitment until a contract is drafted and reviewed passed unanimously; the presenters said they would work with city counsel to draft contract language and provide additional financial and distribution details.

What happens next: City staff and the filmmakers agreed to exchange contract drafts and financial details by email; council requested that a contract include staged disbursements, repayment priority for the city and explicit benchmarks before each payment.