Town Hall: NV Film Tax Incentives

Bring your curiosity, your fears, and your thoughts and questions.

Expectations:

Join Eccentric Artists for a community discussion about the Film Tax Incentive Bill! This town hall is an opportunity for the Las Vegas film community to gather, discuss, and educate ourselves on the future of film incentives and how we can effectively advocate for our interests.

Hear directly and engage with the leaders of the Film Bill, as well as experts on film tax incentives and what they mean for Nevadans. We will have a short presentation from the speakers followed by a Q&A with the audience. Filmmakers, artists, and all interested community members are welcome to join!

Background:

Warner Bros and Sony Entertainment want to build sound studios in Southern Nevada, proposing to bring billions of dollars investment, thousands of jobs, and the infrastructure and talent to back the productions. But before they come, they want a huge increase in Nevada’s current Film Tax Incentives. What does this mean for Nevada filmmakers and artists? Eccentric Artists wants to make sure your voices and questions are heard.

SPEAKERS

Mercedez Davis

Mercedez is an interdisciplinary artist, activist, and community organizer. She has a passion for both art and justice and utilizes strategic community organizing + engagement with art and storytelling for the purpose of building more beautiful, just-ful communities.

Mercedez is most proud of her advocacy work with Windsor Park, a historic and predominantly black neighborhood in North Las Vegas suffering from environmental devastation and local government negligence. In 2023, she was instrumental in raising awareness, organizing the community, and securing public testimonies that led to passage of the Windsor Park Environmental Justice Act: a law that promises to relocate, rebuild, and grant restitution to the Windsor residents.

Senator Roberta Lange

Roberta Lange is a retired teacher, a respected union leader, and the former three-term Chair of the Nevada Democratic Party. During her first term as Party Chair, Roberta spearheaded in-state efforts to ensure that Nevada went blue for President Barack Obama. In 2016, Roberta led the fight against Donald Trump and turned our state blue up and down the ballot.

Roberta began her career as a teacher and is a lifetime member of the Nevada State Education Association. Early in her career, Roberta was elected President of her local teachers’ union, serving two terms. She also served as Chief Negotiator for a decade. In that role, she worked to allow teachers to manage their health care, reduce class sizes, and create a cutting edge teacher evaluation process which received national recognition. She also worked to secure block grant money for teachers to compensate them for extra time spent grading papers at home, making parent calls after hours, and buying school supplies out-of-pocket.

Roberta is an active member of her community, coaching Little League and volunteering with Boy Scouts Pack 143 and Moms Demand Action. In addition to serving as Party Chair of the Nevada Democratic Party, Roberta also previously served as President of the Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County, Chair of the Clark County Democratic Party, and Chair of the Henderson Democratic Club. She served on the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee and on the Executive Committee of the Association of State Democratic Chairs for six years.

Roberta and her husband Ken have lived in Senate District 7 for nearly a decade. They have four children and are the proud grandparents of six grandchildren.

(additional Film Bill Background provided by Mercedez):

Senator Lange first introduced her Film Bill, SB 496, during the 2023 Nevada Legislative Session. The Bill would have been a multimillion-dollar expansion of the state’s current film tax credit system, but the bill died without a vote. Senator Lange is now working in partnership with Warner Bros to introduce a new Film Bill, which she will present to the Nevada Legislature next year.

Caroline Lett

Caroline Lett serves as Executive Director, Business Development, Marketing & Special Events for Warner Bros. Studios. In this role, she helps to cultivate emerging business opportunities while developing and executing creative strategies to engage the Studios' target audiences globally. A seasoned event producer, Caroline directs all internal and external engagements and initiatives for Warner Bros. Studios Burbank as well as the proposed Warner Bros. Studios Nevada project. A strong advocate for lifelong career learning and professional development, she also oversees daily operations for Burbank Studios' CrewHQ, the multi-purpose skills training and community center on the Burbank Lot.

Kim Spurgeon

Kim Spurgeon is the Director of the Nevada Film Office, a division of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, where she promotes the growth of the film industry in the state and advises senior leadership on industry-related policy. She also manages the state’s film tax incentive program and monitors the trends of these programs both domestically and internationally. In 2023, Kim was presented with the “Get $#it Done” award by Governor Lombardo for her exceptional work in state service.

Prior to her role, Kim worked as a production manager on commercials, feature films and television shows, including “Behind the Candelabra,” “Now You See Me,” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.” During this time, she advanced her industry knowledge and built invaluable relationships with the crew members and vendors she now serves in her role at the Nevada Film Office. She earned a bachelor's degree in communications with a concentration in film from Elon University.

Andi Isaacs

Andi Isaacs joined the film department faculty at the University Nevada, Las Vegas in the fall of 2022, focusing on producing and production classes. Isaacs teaches the popular Business of Hollywood class, where students can learn about everything from development to delivery through the practical lens of finance, legal, business affairs, sales and marketing, as well as the administrative and logistical issues of working in film. In addition, Isaacs teaches Adaptations and Intellectual Properties, discussing where to find stories as a Producer. Isaacs also oversees the new internship program for UNLV, arranging for students to have hands on opportunities with professional film and television companies. Isaacs loves teaching at UNLV Film. UNLV is one of the most diverse universities in the nation, and her hope is to help her students find ways for their stories to be heard.

Before transitioning to education, Isaacs previously served as the Executive Vice President and Head of Physical Production for one of the film industry’s highly successful independent studios, Summit Entertainment, from its inception in 2006 until its sale to Lionsgate in 2012. Capitalizing on Summit’s modern view of a studio and its processes, Isaacs used this platform as a way to make adjustments to traditional studio practices as well as mentoring the next generation of executives in the feature film production arena.

Prior to joining Summit Isaacs spent almost two decades being an “industry go to person” when it came to challenging film productions or those that needed a new hand to guide an in-process production to the finish. She filled this role in various production related capacities for Walt Disney Pictures during her tenure from 2003 through 2006, and as freelancer in all areas of production both domestically and internationally including production supervisor, accountant, and studio representative for both independent and major studios.

Some notable films that can be found on Isaacs’ resume include NOW YOU SEE ME, PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, WARM BODIES, RED, TWILIGHT, NEW MOON, ECLIPSE, BREAKING DAWN 1 AND 2 (THE TWILIGHT SAGA), LETTERS TO JULIET, KNOWING, THE HURT LOCKER, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2 AND 3, NATIONAL TREASURE, KING ARTHUR, SOMEONE LIKE YOU, ANNA AND THE KING, THE PACIFIER, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, PHILADELPHIA AND SCENT OF A WOMAN.

Looking for resources before our event?

START HERE:

GET DEEPER:

ADD CONTEXT:

Bring your curiosity, your fears, and your thoughts and questions.

SPEAKERS

connect. create. collaborate.

hybrid art collective and creative media company

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST!

LOCATION

Las Vegas, Nevada

SOCIAL MEDIA

CONTACT US

eccentricartists.space@gmail.com

Copyright © ECCENTRIC ARTISTS 2022
Web Design by: Tiffanie Rose Ignacio | Logo Design by: Sydney Mendoza | Animated Logo by: George Mentchoukov

Bring your curiosity, your fears, and your thoughts and questions.

SPEAKERS

connect. create. collaborate.

hybrid art collective and creative media company

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST!

LOCATION

Las Vegas, Nevada

SOCIAL MEDIA

CONTACT US

eccentricartists.space@gmail.com

Copyright © ECCENTRIC ARTISTS 2022 Web Design by: Tiffanie Rose Ignacio | Logo Design by: Sydney Mendoza | Animated Logo by: George Mentchoukov

Copyright © ECCENTRIC ARTISTS 2022
Web Design by: Tiffanie Rose Ignacio | Logo Design by: Sydney Mendoza | Animated Logo by: George Mentchoukov