ACT 4 – End Multi-Million-Dollar Annual Loss of Taxpayer Investment

Resurrect the Film Industry and Keep Florida Film Graduates in Florida

Florida taxpayers invest and lose hundreds of millions annually for the education of Florida students who, after graduating from college, must leave the state because of Florida’s void in creative job opportunities.

Ninety-seven colleges/universities in Florida offer state-funded scholarships, grants, and other types of state-subsidized financial assistance for degrees in filmmaking-related areas. Among them is the FSU Film School, which is: acknowledged as “one of the world’s best”; ranked #13 in the nation [14]: and the only film college in the U.S. that pays 100% of the production costs of every student’s motion picture [15].

Florida’s annual college educational investment loss is huge, approximately $240 million. This estimate is based on: (1) only five (FSU, UCF, UF, USF and FIU) out of Florida’s 97 colleges offering filmmaking-related careers; (2) an assumption that there are 6,000 Florida-resident graduates from these five schools each year; (3) each Florida film graduate receives $10,000 annually in state scholarships, grants, and other state financial aid for four years or ($40,000 per college graduate). In summary, 6,000 (Florida resident graduates with film- related college degrees) x $40,000 (annual state financial aid) = $240 million annual state aid.

Problem is…there are ZERO studio films or network television series currently slated for production in Florida! To find work in the industry, 6,000 graduates would need to leave Florida, relocate to states with thriving film industries and, by default, “gift” to other states their Florida paid investment of $240 million.