The City of Jacksonville looks to attract film and commercial productions by offering incentives

Jacksonville, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville is looking to get back into show business.

Earlier this week, the City Council passed legislation that will offer incentives to film and television production companies that choose to work in Jacksonville.

There are three new programs.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Read: Jacksonville Civic Council releases statement applauding stadium deal, asks for city approval

The Jacksonville Film & Television Production Program is a performance-based rebate program structured to attract productions that will hire local professionals and buy goods and services from local businesses.

The Jacksonville Commercial Production Program is designed to attract commercial production to Duval County. An incentive will be distributed as a rebate after the production company provides proof that it hired and spent locally.

The Jacksonville Fostering Families Grant Program seeks to foster independent filmmaking by helping local filmmakers with partial funding of locally produced motion pictures.

Read: Atlantic hurricane season, chance to save on prep starts Saturday in Florida

“These programs will allow Jacksonville to compete with other Florida cities who have similar programs, which will ultimately have a significant economic impact in our area,” Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news release.

“I have been a working member of SAG/AFTRA, doing TV and Film for more than 20 years,” said City Council Member Rahman Johnson. “I am excited to support this effort that will attract business to Jacksonville and keep the production community in Jacksonville working for years to come.”

The total funding for all three programs is $539,847.

Additional information on these programs, and the Jacksonville Film & Television Office, can be found at www.filmjax.com.

Jacksonville has a long history in the film and television industry. Several major movies like G.I. Jane, Tigerland, The Manchurian Candidate, Devil’s Advocate, Recount, and Basic were all filmed here.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.