A decade ago, Alaska repealed tax incentives that encouraged filmmaking in the state. This led to big-budget productions leaving for places like Canada and Iceland. Now, a small group of filmmakers, including Alaskan-born Steven Cornfield, are working to bring those productions back.
Cornfield, who began his career as an electrician on film sets, saw firsthand the impact of the previous incentives. “There were a lot of movies filming here, and many jobs were created,” he said. Cornfield is joined by Ashleigh Snead, a filmmaker and producer who wants to bring more productions to Alaska.
The group draws inspiration from other states with film incentives, including Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, and Montana. During the previous incentive period, several multi-million dollar movies were filmed in Alaska, including “The Frozen Ground” and “The Big Miracle.” The latter brought in $7.7 million to the local economy.
Moreover, the Alaska Film Initiative aims to benefit not just filmmakers, but also industries like hospitality, construction, food service, and tourism. “Even if you’re not a filmmaker, it’s still fun to work on a film,” said Snead.
Additionally, the initiative has met with over 40 lawmakers in Juneau and hopes to introduce legislation next year. Cornfield and Snead are optimistic about the future of filmmaking in Alaska.
In fact, they believe that the Alaska Film Revival with Steven Cornfield will bring back the economic benefits of filmmaking. With the initiative gaining momentum, Alaska will likely once again become a hub for filmmaking.
News story originally published by Alaska’s News Source.
