🎞️ Meet Film Nevada
Written By: Kim Spurgeon, Director of Film Nevada
What’s a film office?
A film office, sometimes known as a film commission, is an agency that encourages filming in a specific area and supports industry activity at a private and public level. Most states in the US, as well as some cities and many countries worldwide, have a film office. These are often government agencies, though they can be non-profit, private or government sanctioned. The benefits provided by a film office include promoting the economic growth of a region, creating employment for its residents, and increasing tourism from onscreen exposure.
In Nevada, this agency is known as Film Nevada and operates within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). Established in 1982 as the Division of Motion Pictures, Film Nevada markets the state as a filming destination and generates economic impact through job creation and in-state production spending. The office facilitates connections with local crew, vendors and services. It also identifies film locations, assists with the permitting processes and coordinates intergovernmental cooperation statewide. Film Nevada also administers the state’s film tax incentive program to attract productions to film in the state and encourage the growth of the industry in Nevada.
What does a film office do?
Film Nevada offers many services – for free! – to the industry and the people of Nevada. The office meets the needs of hundreds of productions annually, assisting in a multitude of ways including finding the perfect location, connecting with local crew and services, navigating the permit process and administering the tax incentive program.
Primarily, the office connects productions filming in their area with the local resources they need to succeed. The locations database and crew and services directory were created to promote and utilize our award-winning professional crews, state-of-the-art production facilities, source equipment and supplies, and showcase Nevada’s unique filming locations to keep productions on schedule and on budget. Film Nevada’s crew and services directory is the number one resource used by industry professionals filming in Nevada and can be found at directory.film.nv.gov. Nevada offers a vast pool of skilled industry professionals and qualified crew and support service providers.
Film Nevada’s locations database connects productions with film-friendly places throughout the state. Nevada boasts some of the most diverse filming locations in the world, and its landscapes and locations have been featured in thousands of film and television productions.
Nevada’s landscapes are as diverse and dramatic as its history, offering a mix of arid deserts, towering mountain ranges, expansive valleys, and vibrant urban oases. Known as the “Silver State,” Nevada’s natural beauty is often overshadowed by its reputation for glittering cities like Las Vegas and Reno, but it boasts a variety of stunning and unique environments. While the office does not issue film permits at a state level, it maintains relationships and knowledge of permit processes with the agencies responsible for issuing film permits statewide.
Film Nevada also administers the state’s film tax incentive program. Nevada is one of many regions that offers an incentive for productions to film in their region. There are around 120 incentive programs worldwide, including 40 states in the US.
Created in 2014, Nevada offers a transferable tax credit available to qualified productions spending a minimum of $500,000 in the state. A broad range of productions can apply, such as feature films, television series, commercials, music videos, streaming videos, documentaries and more. The credit is earned when these productions spend money in the region on qualified costs, which include wages paid to Nevada residents and purchases and rentals from Nevada businesses. The incentive will award a 15% credit based on the amount spent, with two bonuses available. An additional 5% can be earned if a majority of Nevada residents are hired, and another 5% can be earned if a majority of the filming days occur in a qualified rural Nevada county. The program is funded at $10 million annually, with new funding available each fiscal year on July 1. The office is responsible for overseeing all aspects of this program, including the application process, issuing credits, and ensuring participants understand and follow all rules and regulations.
A Network of Film Offices
Film Nevada is a member of several professional organizations, including the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) and FilmUSA. Both are non-profits operating in support of film offices and their work, with AFCI representing over 300 film commissions worldwide and FilmUSA including nearly 100 US film offices.
In September 2025, Director Kim Spurgeon and Deputy Director Danette Tull of Film Nevada attended AFCI’s Cineposium, an international conference for film offices. Held in Cincinnati, Ohio, the event brought together over 200 film commissioners from 35 countries to share ideas, strategies and inspiration for the future of film. Informative panels from industry experts included an economic development master class workshop presented by Bloomberg Associates, the business of marketing in creative and cultural economies, and the future of the film industry from both the studio and independent perspectives, with representatives from the major studios and accomplished indie filmmakers. The conference also featured a conversation with George Clooney, a screening of the movie “Carol” starring Cate Blanchett with director Todd Haynes and producer Christine Vachon both in attendance for an audience Q&A, as well as a screening of the movie “The Librarians” with director Kim Snyder participating.
In addition to the lively discussions and ample networking, Kim and Danette were awarded Certified Film Commissioner status, an accomplishment achieved by completing the required courses from AFCI University and attending the Cineposium conference. The curriculum included film commission fundamentals and professional courses, as well as master classes in filmmaking, marketing, management and economic development. By attaining CFC certificates, the leadership of Film Nevada has shown a commitment to professional development and maintaining top-tier service to the state and industry.