Executive Summary: Strategic Findings

Table of Contents

1. Strategic Mapping: Where to Find U.S. and Global Commissions
2. The Direct Line: How to Contact Local Film Commissions
3. Navigating the Incentive Landscape via Regional Offices
4. The Role of State-Level Support in Multi-Region Productions
5. Beyond the Directory: Supply Chain Intelligence with Vitrina

Strategic Mapping: Where to Find U.S. and Global Commissions

Where can I find a list of film commissions across the United States? For a producer looking to optimize a multi-state shoot, the starting point is the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). AFCI acts as the global umbrella organization, representing over 300 film commissions across six continents. Their directory is the industry standard for identifying vetted, government-sanctioned offices.

Within the U.S., the most authoritative resource is the “Film US” consortium, which centralizes state-level offices. States like Georgia, New Mexico, and Louisiana—which combined accounted for over $10 billion in production spend in 2024—maintain robust digital portals that list every municipal and county-level film liaison. These directories are essential for executives who need to pivot production locations based on shifting labor availability or localized weather patterns.

The Direct Line: How to Contact Local Film Commissions

How can I contact the local film commission in my city? In major production hubs like Los Angeles (FilmLA) or New York City (Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment), contact is streamlined through digital permitting portals. However, for “emerging” or “non-traditional” production cities, the process often requires navigating the local Economic Development Department or Chamber of Commerce.

The strategic protocol for initial outreach should prioritize the “Film Commissioner” or “Director of Production Facilitation.” Unlike general city inquiries, these contacts are trained to handle the high-sensitivity requirements of NDAs and rapid-response location scouting. According to data from KFTV, 85% of successful cross-border productions initiated contact with a local commission at least six months before the primary photography date to secure infrastructure priority.

Navigating the Incentive Landscape via Regional Offices

The primary reason an executive contacts a film commission is to unlock the “rebate engine.” In 2025, regional competition has intensified, with jurisdictions like Santa Fe, New Mexico, offering up to 35% in refundable tax credits. The local commission acts as the primary auditor for “Qualified Production Expenditures” (QPE).

For instance, when Netflix produced Stranger Things in Georgia, the Georgia Film Office was instrumental in validating the $3 billion in direct spending that the company has funneled into the state since 2021. The commission ensures that your production meets the local spend thresholds and residency requirements for crew hiring, preventing the “clawback” of credits that can devastate a project’s completion bond.

The Role of State-Level Support in Multi-Region Productions

For productions that span multiple cities—such as a series filming across various locations in the Pacific Northwest—the state-level commission serves as the “Master Liaison.” They resolve conflicts between local municipal codes and state-wide transportation permits.

Verdict: The Georgia Film Office remains the gold standard for state-level support, recently facilitating the massive scale of **Marvel’s Avengers** series while maintaining a digital crew-base database that is updated weekly to reflect real-time labor availability.

Beyond the Directory: Supply Chain Intelligence with Vitrina

A film commission can tell you that a city has “plenty of soundstages,” but Vitrina can tell you which companies actually built them, their square footage, and their historical occupancy rates. Executives use Vitrina to layer “ground-truth” data over the promotional claims of regional offices.

Conclusion: Accelerating Global Production Cycles

Engaging with a film commission is the most efficient way to convert a foreign territory into a friendly production environment. By utilizing centralized directories like AFCI and state-level portals, executives can move from “exploration” to “execution” in weeks rather than months. These offices provide the sovereign-level support needed to navigate complex labor laws and infrastructure bottlenecks, acting as a force multiplier for your production team.

The path forward requires more than just a list of names; it requires a deep understanding of the vendor ecosystem that exists within those regions. By integrating the regional access provided by commissions with the global supply-chain intelligence of Vitrina, you ensure that every production dollar is spent in a region that is not only “film-friendly” but operationally ready.