Help the Iowa Film Office Plight NOW!!!!!!!!!!

The Iowa Film Office Needs Your Help NOW!!!

When the Iowa Film Office was shut down, locations files and the production guide disappeared, likely from someone taking computers and erasing all data just so the computers could be used for other purposes. When the Iowa Film Office opens again, those missing files will have to be re-created. New computers will need to be purchased, a great deal of travel will be necessary to once again establish locations for future movies made here. Various office equipment will be needed and phone calls and letters will have to be made in order to re-establish trust in the minds and hearts of film producers.

In order to do all of this, a staff will be put in place to work alongside the director.

With all of the above in mind, our governor, Terry Branstad, who brought the first Iowa Film Office into existence, has recommended that the Iowa Film Office be funded with $400,000. Despite this recommendation the Iowa House of Representatives is suggesting slashing the budget to only $150,000. When our film industry's best friend and fiercest proponent, Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr. told us about this, our knees weakened and our posture turned into exaggerated slumps. We felt as though our three years of weekly visits to Iowa's Capitol had yielded a pathetic result.

The budget approval process is not finished though. There is still a chance that the Iowa Senate will counter the House suggestion with a higher sum and that this may go back and forth in true political form. And this means that any reader of this article who wants to once again work as an actor or a crew person or as a provider of services or supplies to movie makers should now - and I do mean NOW- take a few minutes to write to all the Iowa legislators and say how vital it is to leave the governor's $400,000 alone because the film office cannot do a proper job without sufficient funding. This is supposed to be a legislature dedicated to creating jobs and improving our state economy and with film production comes many jobs and a huge influx of money to all communities hosting the making of films.

I think we should also write to Governor Branstad and let him know how important it is to keep his budget figure secure. We should thank him for going to bat for us, which he truly is doing I assure you all.

I have asked my dear friend David Thrasher to post the names and addresses of Iowa legislators on my blog, The Iowa Film Insider, and on my Facebook group page, IACT (Iowa Actors and Crew Together and Producers, Too). He will post this info late tonight, so check for that later.

Gene L. Hamilton, in the dirty trenches of politics and severely wounded, as is my fellow activist, Jay Villwock, who is also nursing gashes and slashes..... HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP US!!!!!!!!!

(photo is from today at the State House: Jay Villwock, Iowa Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr. of Waterloo, and me)