The Economic Impact of the Rhode Island Film Commission

The Rhode Island Film Commission was founded in 1984 with the goal to increase revenues coming into the state and stimulate economic activity within the state through the film/video industry. Because of a serious state financial crisis the existence of the Commission, at least in its present form, is threatened. A study of the impacts of the Commission was conducted to examine its contributions to the state. The results showed that film industry activities attributable to the Commission generated average annual direct spending in the state of almost $8 million leading to $1 million in new wages for state residents. In addition, film industry activities generated $261 thousand in tax revenues for the state compared to the commission\u27s annual budget of $164 thousand. Despite the profitability of the Commission to the state government, the significance of sales and wage impacts to the state\u27s economy and other obvious but unmeasured social benefits, the survival of the Commission is still in doubt