Communities will benefit from renewed state film office

(Letter to the Editor Des Moines Register - January 16,2012)

In response to Kathie Obradovich’s Jan. 12 column, “Seats Filling Rapidly for Trip to Florida”:

By bringing back the Iowa film office, Gov. Terry Branstad will also bring back the potential for good paying jobs for creative Iowans. And if filming resumes here, whole communities will also benefit when film production companies consume considerable amounts of goods and services.

Beautiful Iowa towns have been used in the making of several well-known feature films. When such films are released, they serve to attract tourists to Iowa so they can see for themselves just how lovely our towns and citizens are.

— Gene L. Hamilton, Screen Actors Guild member, Des Moines