Santa Monica is taking control of its film permitting and is looking to make money on its own Hollywood allure. The city has been used as a backdrop for film and TV for many years.
“Our hope is that it'll bring filmmaking back to Santa Monica. We're just super excited because we have an opportunity to partner with the Santa Monica Travel and Tourism team and create a really curated concierge type service for those looking to make a movie in Santa Monica,” Lana Negrete, the mayor of Santa Monica, told KNX News’ Nataly Tavidian.
The new entity is called Film Santa Monica. It’s run through the city’s tourism office under a three-year contract. It centralizes permitting, offers location support, and markets more than 40 sites.
“We’ve got a lot of iconic and historical places. Whether it's our pier, Bergamot Station, the Santa Monica Airport, our downtown area, our promenade, we've got so many spots for people to consider making all sorts of different types of films,” Negrete said.
Film Santa Monica launched on Monday, shifting away from FilmLA.
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“We love FilmLA and we are so grateful for everything that they've done to promote the region. But Film Santa Monica was created so that we can provide a dedicated local resource for filming in our community,” Negrete explained. “The goal here is to really streamline the permitting process, better support productions, and ensure that filming aligns with the needs of our residents and businesses.”
FilmLA told KNX News its partnership with Santa Monica wrapped up just last week. They say they’re proud of the work they did, and they’ll still be focused on making it easier for filmmakers to get access across the region.
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