DGA Monthly

A P R I L 2 0 2 5 I 3 Production Home And we are not stopping there... Our focus remains clear: any expansion of these programs must be dedicated to creating, protecting, and preserving good-paying jobs. DGA members deserve careers that sustain families, provide healthcare, and ensure retirement with dignity. Beyond the financial impact, we also recognize the significant personal sacrifices that come with working away from home. Prolonged travel means time away from family and loved ones, and the strain of working overseas can take a toll on mental health, stability, and overall quality of life. Strengthening tax incentive programs not only ensures economic viability but also prioritizes the well-being of our industry's workforce. To learn more, visit www.dga.org/Initiatives/Production-Incentives. In New York: DGA Associate National Executive Director/Eastern Executive Director Neil Dudich has been working alongside the DGA's union partners to secure job-focused protections in the expansion of New York's state production tax credit program. New York has long been a major hub for television and film and remains an important home for many DGA members. Its tax incentive program plays a crucial role in attracting and retaining production, and the state's deep well of talent has made it a favorite for film and TV. However, New York faces the same competitive pressures as the rest of the industry. As international locations refine their own incentive programs, New York must take an aggressive approach to protecting production. Through the DGA's advocacy, Dudich is working to ensure that any expansion of New York's program benefits the workforce, not just studio profits, by maintaining and growing jobs. Associate National Executive Director/Eastern Executive Director Neil Dudich joins the DGA's union partners in Albany, NY on March 4, to secure job-focused protections in the expansion of the state's production tax credit program. In Washington, DC: DGA National Executive Director Russell Hollander and Director of Government Affairs Mike Stoever have been working alongside their IATSE counterparts to educate Congress on the importance of developing a suite of federal tax and trade policy proposals aimed at incentivizing the onshoring of film and television production in the United States. During a trip to Washington, DC in early March of this year, they met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss and build support on behalf of both short and long-term legislative options. With an eye on the upcoming tax package currently being drafted in Congress, they advocated, among other things, for an extension of the existing tax deduction available for film and television production – known as Section 181. They also discussed the need for a federal film and television tax incentive to place the U.S. on more competitive ground with the international incentives that are luring away production. Above all else, these options share one common goal – bringing production jobs back to the country for our hardworking members. In early March, DGA National Executive Director Russell Hollander and IATSE President Matthew Loeb met with Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) in Washington, DC to discuss federal tax and trade policy to incentivize the onshoring of film and television production in the United States.

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