[Source: Reuters]

Behind the glitz of the movie awards season that culminates with the Oscars on Sunday, Hollywood is fighting a battle to keep its place at the center of the global film business.

None of the 10 best picture contenders to be celebrated at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre were filmed in Los Angeles, home to most major film companies for more than a century. Nominee “Wicked,” for example – a prequel to the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz” – was filmed in Britain.

Movie and TV production has been exiting Hollywood for years, heading to locations with tax incentives that make filming cheaper. Crew members were hoping for a rebound in Los Angeles after strikes by writers and actors in 2023, but statistics show the comeback has been slow.

The wildfires that destroyed sections of Los Angeles in January accelerated concerns that producers may look elsewhere, and that camera operators, costume designers, sound technicians and other behind-the-scenes workers may move out of town rather than try to rebuild in their neighborhoods.

“There are a lot of people that haven’t worked in a while because of the strikes and everything, and now the fires,” said Samantha Quan, producer of Oscar best picture nominee “Anora,” filmed in Brooklyn, New York, and Las Vegas. “I think it’s been a good wake-up call for everyone to push for production to go back to Los Angeles.”

Advocates have launched a “Stay in LA” campaign, hoping to capitalize on the goodwill toward Angelenos following the fires. A petition calls for politicians to lift the cap on tax incentives for filming in the city for the next three years as part of the wildfire recovery effort.

They also are urging studios to commit to increasing production in LA by at least 10% over the next three years.

Gavin Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, has proposed boosting the state’s film and TV tax credits to $750 million a year, up from $330 million annually.

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