2008 Woodie Awards
Conn. eyes film industry to diversify economy
Stephen Singer, AP
Issue date: 2/15/06 Section: News
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Time has passed by the abandoned century-old Norwich State Hospital complex, shuttered for a decade.
Lately, however, the deserted property for the one-time mental hospital has been the scene for negotiations between Utopia Studios of Melville, N.Y., and the town of Preston, a community of 4,700 about 45 miles east of Hartford. Utopia is seeking to build a massive entertainment complex, including movie studios.
The proposal, coupled with a new effort by Gov. M. Jodi Rell and leaders of the General Assembly to provide tax credits for film productions, is bringing new attention to the prospect of moviemaking in southern New England.
Connecticut is trying to catch up to tax incentives already offered by Massachusetts and Rhode Island that are designed to lure studios to the area.
Major feature films can costs tens of millions to make. Studios operate crews of several dozen people, who eat at local restaurants, stay at hotels or motels, put gas in their cars and hire local caterers and other services.
"There isn't a filmmaker today who doesn't look for the right tax deal. You can't afford not to," said Howard Baldwin, a Los Angeles-based producer whose films include the Oscar-winning "Ray," the 2004 biopic of Ray Charles.
Joseph Gentile, chief financial officer of Utopia, appeared recently with Connecticut House Speaker James Amann to back proposed legislation for tax credits of 25 percent of the cost of production for investors and 30 percent for production companies.
"I think it's a wonderful incentive program," Gentile said. "It certainly helps smaller filmmakers. We have the relationships."