I Cry At Movies and State Capitols

Strange that I would have a melancholic feeling about Jay's and my final visit to the Iowa legislative session. We were acting as lobbyists for the Iowa film industry, but we didn't get paid. We made our weekly visits over the past three months out of our passionate desire to do our utmost to save the film tax incentive program. I remember clearly as we made our first long icy walk up those many steps to the beautiful capitol building that the film program may very well be killed. I remember that our goal was to prevent that, but deep down I kept that fear alive for the first several weeks.

That fear gradually left me as Jay and I gained momentum by personally speaking with many of the Iowa legislators and attending several key committee meetings. When that fear left, we tried to chisel away at the suspension, but in the end the suspension grew into three years, but with good reason to hope that the suspension would be entirely removed by a bill replacement, a bill crafted by Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr., and supported by Senator Jack Hatch, Joe Seng, Larry Nobles, Brad Zaun and many more.

In other words, Jay and I had a big emotional investment in our three months of going to the building with the gold dome. We both had the pleasure and good fortune to have acted in several films and we made so many great friends along the way. We were part of the film family in Iowa and now we were suffering from the family being forcibly broken-up by a big man who will likely not return to his job next year.

With this as the backdrop, here is the account of our visit today.

While waiting for our lilp-smackingly-delicious breakfast of two eggs over medium with marble rye toast, we chatted with Representative Ako Abudl-Samad, who said he thought Iowa's time for movie-making was now. He talked with a smile as he recounted his own role as an extra in "The Experiment", a feature movie filmed in Des Moines last year. Ako loved being a part of that movie and he urged us to call on him if we would ever need his help. I am now one of Ako's biggest fans.

We found Craig Patterson, the Iowa Motion Picture Association lobbyist. He said sharing stories from Iowans who worked in films is important for legislators and the general public to hear. Which reminds me to ask you the reader to please write to my blog, Iowa Film Insider, with your own accounts of how movie-making affected your own lives.

Jay and I thanked Representative Eric Helland for his support, for working with us and hearing us out on the film tax credit work. He encouraged us continue with our efforts.

We also thanked Representative Paul Shomshor, who said he'd work on the film program at next year's session which will begin next January.

Cyndi Pederson, Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, took time to speak with us. Cyndi's an easy lady to speak with, and said Senators Hogg and Dotzler want to move the Iowa Film Office within her department perhaps next year. She knows what draws and keeps young people in Iowa, and that the creative arts ties directly to healthy mental and emotional health. I can attest to that as when I taught watercolor classes in adult education in Des Moines and suburbs many years ago I saw the immediate positive effects making art had with all of my adult students.

We met with veterinarian and senator, Joe Seng, who said Senator Bolkcom was involved in shooting down Seng's effort to create forty jobs for his home district by denying tax credits. He said tax credits were being shot down with no apparent regard for the number of jobs they help create.

So, that's it. We left and as we walked down the hill we saw the commanding view of Iowa's capitol city. We have high hopes but we also know we must stay on top of things and see this thing through to the very end, when the suspension will end and when movie-making will resume here.

Write to me, folks. You can write to me at my e-mail if you want: gino@quickdrawcartoons.com. You can write to I.A.C.T. on Facebook. You can write to my blog, Iowa Film Insider. I need your stories. I need your help. We will all benefit if our stories are seen between now and next January.

with Jay Villwock today, gino