When Los Angeles-based filmmaker Bruce Isacson started scouting locations for his new movie, "South Dakota," he didn't go to Sioux Falls. Or Mount Rushmore. Or even rowdy Sturgis.
Nope, he headed for Earlham, Ia., the quiet little town 30 minutes west of Des Moines.
"After visiting Iowa, I decided it was the perfect South Dakota," he said. "It has everything I envisioned."
The West Coast writer and director, whose production team arrived last week to begin auditioning Iowans for supporting roles, was immediately charmed by Earlham's hospitality and wide-open landscapes during a visit last month.Isacson is convinced it's the perfect setting for his story about a pair of high school lovebirds who wind up with a surprise pregnancy.
"It's that perfect Midwestern small town that Americans have fantasies about," said Isacson, who grew up in New York City.
But there's another reason he chose to film here: hefty tax incentives. Iowa leaders passed a law last May that offers 50 percent tax credits for films shot in Iowa with budgets of at least $100,000. Half of the credit amount helps producers recoup in-state expenses - hotel rooms, meals, rental vehicles - and the other half benefits the project's original investors."When we found out (about the incentives), we almost called twice to make sure," said the movie's production manager, Robert Gibson.
Those incentives make a big difference for the independent project's budget, which is between $2.5 million and $3 million, according to Gibson. The less they spend on taxes, the more they can pour into what audiences see on screen.
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