In 2025, following months of extensive involvement from the DGA, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that increases and modernizes the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. This legislation more than doubles the program’s annual funding — from $330 million to $750 million — and introduces key updates designed to keep production, below-the-line jobs, and investments rooted in California.
The expanded film incentive program helped lure two-time DGA Award-winning and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ang Lee out of a seven-year filmmaking hiatus to shoot his new feature, Gold Mountain, an epic set during the California Gold Rush. The production is part of a multiple film and television package funded by the expanded state tax credit which to date includes 170 projects designed to bring $6.6 billion in economic activity and nearly 35,000 cast and crew jobs across California.
“California has long set the standard for entertainment production, creating good-paying jobs and showcasing the creativity and innovation that define the Golden State,” said Governor Newsom. “The first year of the expanded tax credit program is already delivering results — generating billions in economic activity, creating opportunities for businesses and the workforce, and bringing more productions home to California.”
For information on California’s expanded tax credit program visit the California Film Commission website at https://film.ca.gov.
The DGA continues to advocate for improvements to state incentive programs and the development of a federal incentive program to combat the flow of production heading overseas.
To learn more about the DGA’s efforts on Production Incentives, visit www.dga.org/Initiatives/Production-Incentives.
