A Weary Hollywood Celebrates the Prospect of Federal Funding

Hollywood has felt a little like a horror movie in recent years. As more and more filming has migrated overseas and production in the United States has plummeted, tens of thousands of workers have lost their jobs, plunging the industry into a state of despair.

On Thursday, the movie and television industry got its first glimpse of a potential lifeline: Lawmakers in Washington introduced legislation that would create the nation’s first federal tax credits for film and television production.

The bill provides a tax credit of at least 20 percent on the wages of the vast array of workers who create movies and TV shows. That includes actors and directors as well as camera operators and makeup artists.

Though such a program — which would amplify the subsidies offered by most states — has drawn bipartisan support and the public backing of President Trump, passage of the bill is far from assured as the midterms loom.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/movies/film-tax-credit-congress-bill.html