FY2019 tax credits for Maryland Small Films are still available
BALTIMORE, MD (June 10, 2019) – Hope’s Legacy, a feature film about an engaged couple navigating their relationship through the world of competitive horse eventing, is the first recipient of the new Maryland Small Films Tax Credit program, the Maryland Department of Commerce announced today. The film, which is being produced by DBM Communications, Inc. of Towson, Md., will begin shooting this week in Baltimore County and has hired local crew, actors, and support services as it films throughout the month of June.
The Maryland Small Films Tax Credit program is a new category of the Maryland Film Production Activity Tax Credit, which the Maryland Film Office administers. The tax credit was amended in 2018 and among the changes was that 10 percent in funding would be targeted specifically for small and independent Maryland productions.
Applications are currently being accepted on a first come, first served basis.
“The new Small Films Tax Credit program was created to nurture and support Maryland’s growing independent film industry, and we are excited that Hope’s Legacy is the first to take advantage of it,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Independent films like Hope’s Legacy create jobs and boost our economy by hiring local cast and crew, and showcase the state’s beauty and great quality of life.”
“Maryland has a robust community of independent filmmakers, and we are excited to offer this tax credit to encourage more locally-produced films in Maryland,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “While Hope’s Legacy is the first film to qualify for the credit, we look forward to working with our local film community to create more award-winning films in Maryland.”
Hope’s Legacy, starring award-winning film star Dyan Cannon, is a sequel set 10 years after the film
Christmas Ranch, which also filmed in Baltimore County.
Christmas Ranch won Best Family Feature at the EQUUS Film Festival, the world’s premier showcase for equestrian-themed films, documentaries, shorts, and music videos, and also received the Touch of Class award by the
Maryland Horse Industry Board at the premiere in Baltimore.
“I’m very excited to be filming Hope’s Legacy in Maryland. With the tax credit, I was able to secure the funding I needed for the film,” said Douglas Maddox, president of DBM Communications, Inc. “I have worked with the Maryland Film Office many times over the years. They have assisted me with my previous productions and I’m very pleased that their office now has an incentive program that allows me to bring Hope’s Legacy home to Maryland.”
Since 2006, Maryland has incentivized 30 productions that employed thousands of residents, worked with thousands of local small businesses, and generated an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion in the state.
The Maryland Film Office, a division within the Maryland Department of Commerce, aims to attract productions to film on-location in the state of Maryland, as well as support the state’s local film community. The office’s goal is to make the process of filming in Maryland as easy as possible, by providing location scouting and pre-production research, in addition to acting as a government and community liaison throughout film production. For more information on available tax credits, visit
marylandfilm.org.
