Ulster County Is Already Drawing “A List” Actors And Producers
Kingston, NY - Recent weeks have seen Ulster County evolving into a hotbed for major movie productions. A new feature film titled “Departures” and starring Maisie Williams of the “Game of Thrones” and Nina Dobrev of “The Vampire Diaries” just began filming in uptown Kingston with shooting expected to last 24 days. This comes on the heels of another film wrapping up production just last week; the comedy “Furlough” was on site in Kingston and the Town of Ulster, including scenes at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center and featuring three Academy Award winners, Whoopi Goldberg, Anna Paquin and Melissa Leo. The 2017 film production season in Ulster County kicked off with a bang earlier in the year as Kingston welcomed legendary director and producer Martin Scorsese who is serving as the executive producer of the feature film “Diane.”
The dramatic increase in Ulster County’s film production industry comes as a direct result of County Executive Mike Hein’s push to include Ulster County in the New York State Upstate Film Tax Credit program that provides critical tax incentives to grow the motion picture industry. The legislation was passed in November and as a result, the entire Mid-Hudson region was included and will benefit.
Michael P. Hein, Ulster County Executive
“My goal is simple; to make Ulster County a hub for the highly profitable entertainment industry. It provides high value opportunities for our workers and low impact on our environment, while delivering millions to our economy. There is no question that the Film Tax Credit program has had dramatic impacts on our creative economy as we see major motion pictures shooting in Ulster County on a regular basis. In fact, in 2016 film productions spent $8 million in the Hudson Valley and it’s already approaching that level after the first quarter of 2017 alone,” said Ulster County Executive Mike Hein. “The truth is without the Film Tax Credit these large-scale films simply would not be filmed here, which is why we fought so hard to level the playing field and have Ulster County included. I want to thank Laurent Rejto from the Hudson Valley Film Commission whose support was pivotal, our partners in State government, as well as so many others. Since its passage we have seen a flurry of film activity, as more and more producers, directors and studio executives discover the beauty, talent pool, history and uniqueness of Ulster County, all in a favorable economic climate we’ve fought so hard to create.”
Laurent Rejto, Hudson Valley Film Commission
“We have been looking to put Ulster County and the Hudson Valley region on a level playing field when it comes to film production for years, and thanks to County Executive Hein that has happened,” said Laurent Rejto of the Hudson Valley Film Commission. “Just since its passage in November we have already seen six feature films come into the region, featuring five Best Supporting Actress Oscar winners and bringing with them approximately $5 million in direct spending to the region. We are receiving calls and inquiries from many others who want to shoot in our region now that the film tax credit has been extended to our area.”
Karen Clark Adin, Owner of Bop to Tottom Retail Store
“I am excited that my store, Bop To Tottom, became the one day set for a scene from the movie ‘Departures,’” said Karen Clark Adin, Owner of Bop To Tottom. “We have already seen firsthand the benefits of the film tax credit that County Executive Hein fought for and I know other businesses have as well. When these production crews arrive in town, they bring with them dozens of people, many of whom have not been to Ulster County before, who shop, dine, hire local contractors and contribute to our economy.”
