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Gov.
Schwarzenegger Moves to Strengthen Calif. Film Commission While the state of California has no money to address the problem of runaway production, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is building a legislative foundation to promote film and TV work in the Golden State. An executive order issued on Sept. 20 directs government agencies throughout the state to designate a film liaison who will report to the California Film Commission. The 19-year-old commission has been clinging to life since funding was stripped by the state’s budget crisis in the fall of 2003. Some industry analysts believe the governor will channel funding into the commission’s coffers as soon as it becomes available. “The motion picture industry generates more than $33 billion annually for the state’s economy and employs more than 250,000 workers,” Schwarzenegger noted. “This executive order ensures the commission will be able to facilitate film and television production in the most expeditious manner possible.” The move is the latest effort by the Schwarzenegger administration to address the problem of runaway production even as the state remains strapped for cash. In May, the Governor appointed Danny Devito, Bill Duke, Clint Eastwood, Tom Werner and Lili Zanuck to the state’s film commission. He also announced that Amy Lemisch would serve as its head.
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