“The Infiltrator” to Film in Tampa

October 8, 2014

TAMPA, Fla. / The Tampa Hillsborough Film and Digital Media Commission announced today that Good Films has selected Hillsborough County as a principal filming location for “The Infiltrator,” a feature film starring Emmy award-winning actor Bryan Cranston. Local production is scheduled to begin in February 2015 in Tampa.
 
Adapted for the screen by Ellen Brown Furman, “The Infiltrator” is an investigative thriller based on acclaimed author and Tampa resident Robert Mazur’s autobiography of the same name. Cranston will play Customs and Excise Agent Mazur, and his undercover alias, Bob Musella. Brad Furman (“The Lincoln Lawyer”) will direct.
 
‘This is a big win for Hillsborough County, and one that validates the time and resources we’ve dedicated to rebuilding our local film industry,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan. “By attracting a big-budget motion picture like ‘The Infiltrator,’ we’re proving that we can, and will, compete for projects that were regularly going to Miami, Orlando or elsewhere in Florida.”
 
The project first came to the attention of the film commission last summer. Producers applied for and were preapproved to receive $4.3 million in tax credits through the State of Florida Entertainment Incentive Program to offset the cost of filming. However, when state legislators failed to fund the program during the 2014 legislative session, local officials took steps to preserve the community’s competitiveness by developing an unprecedented package of support.
 
In March, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved a local incentive package of $250,000. The incentives are performance-based, and subject to the creation of a minimum number of room nights and jobs. In-kind contributions will also be provided by a variety of local partners. The City of Tampa will cover the costs of off-duty patrol and street closures, Port Tampa Bay will provide the production with office space, and the University of Tampa’s film production program will partner with producers to place students in hands-on support roles.
 
“Due to the lack of state incentives, it is incredibly challenging to attract a production of this size and magnitude to our market,” said Dale Gordon, executive director of the film commission. “Fortunately, our community partners and local leadership, including Commissioner Ken Hagan, Mayor Bob Buckhorn, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and Visit Tampa Bay, have demonstrated a strong commitment to growing this high-impact industry and positioning Hillsborough County as a competitive destination for feature film production.”
 
In May 2013, the Tampa Hillsborough Film and Digital Media Commission was established as a public private partnership between Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa and the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, as a result of a multi-year economic development investment to study the industry and identify the necessary steps to stimulate production in Hillsborough County.
 
Since its creation, the film commission has focused on developing local resources that make it easier for productions to do business in Hillsborough County, including a streamlined permitting process to make filming faster and more efficient, and the local incentive program to make it more competitive and affordable.
 
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About the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation:
The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace.  Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high-wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors. Working with C-level executives, site selection consultants, commercial real estate professionals and other influential decision-makers, the EDC provides customized, confidential relocation services to domestic and international companies interested in growing within Hillsborough County.  Locally, the EDC helps existing businesses access the tools and resources they need to succeed, now and in the future.