Film and TV production companies line up for California tax credits

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The Entourage feature film is among the projects to receive state tax credits this year.

The California Film Commission says it’s received a record number of applications for state tax credits this year. 380 applications were filed by movie and TV productions, an 18 percent increase over last year.

The state awards $100 million in tax credits for the fiscal year running from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014.

Thirty-one projects have been approved for 2013. Among those are 14 features, 12 cable series, two TV movies and two relocating series qualifying. Those projects include the Entourage feature film, cable series Bunheads and Major Crimes and the TV movie Cloudy With A Chance of Love.

This is the fifth year that the state has made funding available under a program that began in 2009. The program was nearly killed last year during budget disputes. But after heavy lobbying by a coalition of unions and guilds, Governor Jerry Brown extended the tax incentive program through 2017.

Alex Ben-Block with The Hollywood Reporter joined KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis to discuss who got the tax credits in 2013.