Iowa Film Office Closer To Reopening

Yet another excursion to the Iowa State House, home of the Big Golden Dome. We were immediately met by our ally, Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr., of Waterloo. Senator Dotzler is Senate Chairman of the Economic Development Budget Subcommittee and has served on other important committees and always stands for we members of the Iowa film industry and is readily available when Jay and I make our Iowa Capitol visits. On the other side in the Iowa House of Representatives, we were able to meet with the House Chairman of the above mentioned committee, Rep. Dave Deyoe, and vice chairman Rep. Bobby Kauffmann, who both indicated they were comfortably on board with increasing the Iowa film office budget from the current $200,000 to the governor's original suggested sum of $400,000. Rep. Deyoe said he wanted to be sure the film office has ample money to properly run and said Cultural Affairs Director Mary Cownie would be in charge of deciding how any funds would be used in her department. He also said Cownie is still interviewing candidates for the job of Iowa Film Office Director and that he expects a director to be named in a few weeks. Co-chairman Rep. Kaufmann said initial reaction to the $400,000 amount was that it is a good amount to get the IFO amply supported. We chatted briefly with other Iowa House Representatives, including Anesa Kajtazovic,Deborah Berry, and Peter Cownie. All of these legislators indicated that they approve of the increased IFO funding amount. The Director of Management and Budget, David Roederer, came by as we were perched at a table and spoke with us. He's in an important position in the governor's staff and is very much behind us and always has been. Last year the House was against the governor's recommended IFO funding sum of $400,000, and only half of that was allowed. The film office has not been active for going on four years and the $200,000 will be absorbed in the general Iowa funds unless the film office opens before July 1st. Stay tuned. (photo show Jay Villwock, Senator Dotzler, and myself.. we are in our determined pose).