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Industry
California Loan-Outs: New Bill Protects Entertainment Workers’ Use of Loan-Outs
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill protecting entertainment workers' use of loan-out companies. Supported by major industry unions, the law ensures loan-out companies remain responsible for taxes, while payroll companies report payments but aren't considered employers.
International
Made in Wellington: New Zealand City Aims to Become Global Game Hub
Wellington, home to productions like Avatar and Lord of the Rings, is positioning itself as a global hub for games, VFX, and animation with its new "Make It Here" reel. The city's push into game development is backed by initiatives like the Game Development Sector Rebate.
Movie Theaters
UK Cinema Survey: New Report Highlights Barriers to Theater Attendance
A 2023 BFI survey of 5,000 UK individuals found that high ticket prices and unappealing releases are the main barriers to cinema attendance. While 95% of UK adults watch films, mostly via Netflix and Amazon Prime, only 60% visited a cinema last year, with 43% watching films weekly on SVOD platforms.
Streaming
Introducing Free Sports: 100 New FAST Channels
Free Live Sports, a new streaming platform, has launched with over 100 live FAST (free, ad-supported TV) sports channels and a library of sports films, documentaries, series, and highlights. Available in 75+ countries, it plans to expand to more devices and channels by the end of October.
Tax Incetnives
Independent Film in Ireland: New Tax Incentive for Lower Budget Projects
Ireland is introducing an 8% uplift in its film tax incentive to support local features with Irish talent and budgets up to €20 million, pending EU approval. This aligns with the UK's Independent Film Tax Credit and aims to boost smaller projects.
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