Last year, taxpayer dollars were given to Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack” and “The A Girl,” BYUtv’s “Dwight in Shining Armor” and “Shoelaces for Christmas,” Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” and several other film and television productions in return for filming in Utah. Now, producers say they’re looking elsewhere for shooting locations, citing less restrictive incentive programs in other states, and in other countries.
Industry representatives are asking Utah lawmakers to boost the state’s funding for film and TV productions, arguing that the investment helps the state economy. But similar incentive programs have been criticized for spending public money on private businesses.