“This is a tremendous moment for America’s film and television industry. A federal incentive, paired with California’s historic investment in production, sends a powerful message that we are serious about keeping jobs, talent and storytelling here at home,” said Colleen Bell, Director, California Film Commission. “I applaud the bi-partisan leadership behind this effort and am excited about what it means for the workers, businesses and communities that power this iconic American industry.”
California’s results show it works
California expanded its own program in July 2025, raising the annual credit from $330 million to $750 million, a $3.75 billion investment over five years through 2030. The first year of Program 4.0 delivered:
-
More than 7,600 California filming days, including 1,366 out-of-zone days, ensuring the benefits reach counties and regions across the state.
-
Nearly 38,000 cast and crew jobs created.
Last week, Governor Newsom signed into law AB 2319, which creates a tax credit for post-production work supporting the editors, visual effects artists, musicians, and other creatives who bring film and television to life, as well as SB186 which make the credits more valuable by enhancing refundability and providing exemptions for independent productions.
Where the credits are going
In the TV category, 20 new series and six pilots received tax credits during the first year of Program 4.0. By comparison, only eight new series received tax credits during the last year of Program 3.0. Notable TV projects from the past year include:
In the film category, animated projects became eligible with the passage of AB 1138 (Zbur & Allen, 2025). Awarded film projects in the first year of Program 4.0 include:
-
Additional projects from A24, Artists Equity, Blumhouse, The Walt Disney Company Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal.
Productions supported by the California Film and Television tax credit program won 21 awards across six shows at the 2026 Emmys. The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series and Noah Wyle won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the second consecutive year. Fallout, which relocated to California for season 2 won the Emmy for Outstanding Fantasy / Sci-Fi Costumes.
Since its inception in 2009, California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program has generated over $34.2 billion in economic activity and supported more than 243,000 cast and crew jobs across the state. In years past, for every $1.00 of tax credit awarded, California has seen massive returns: $24.40 in economic output, $16.14 in GDP, and $8.60 in wages. The expanded program, now one of the largest capped film incentives in the nation, maintains California’s competitive edge in the creative economy while continuing to prioritize workforce diversity provisions, more funding for the Career Pathways Training Program, and the nation’s first Safety on Production Pilot Program.
