Film Production in Northampton

Northampton is a film friendly community and has welcomed the filming of a number of feature films, some Academy Award winning, including: Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Carnal Knowledge, Cider House Rules, In Dreams, Malice, Silvia, Edge of Darkness and Young@Heart.

Northampton is a cultural destination rich in music, art, history, education, agriculture, recreation, eclectic independent businesses, and historic buildings and landscapes. Combined with the urban and rural amenities in the surrounding Pioneer Valley and Knowledge Corridor, in close proximity to Boston, Hartford, Albany, and New York City; Northampton and the surrounding region are ideal film locations.

Northampton is a creative community with abundant artistic and technological talent in acting, music, art, voice, dance, writing, film and theater production, media and graphic design, photography and videography, online game design and production, sound/audio production, and software design. Production support services are available locally in hospitality, independent restaurants, construction, lumber supply, libraries, historic archives, hospital/health, tent/equipment rentals, etc.

Northampton Notables:
*Pocumtuc Tribe
*Sojourner Truth
*Calvin Coolidge
*Jonathan Edwards
*Kurt Vonnegut
*Silvia Plath
*Eric Carle
*Jenny Lind
*Sylvester Graham
*Rachel Maddow
*David Packman
*Tracy Kidder
*Leslea Newman
*Leonard Baskin
*Amelia Earhart
*Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Northampton Filmmakers:
*Lawrence Hott and Diane Garey, Florentine Films
*Jeff and Michael Zimbalist
*James Ault
*Media Education Foundation
*Northampton Community Television (NCTV)

Theaters:
*Academy of Music Theater
*Calvin Theater
*Iron Horse Music Hall
*Pleasant Street Theater
*Smith College Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, John M. Greene Hall, and Sage Hall

Cultural Festivals/Events:
*Paradise City Arts Festivals
*Arts Night Out
*Northampton Independent Film Festival
*First Night
*Transperformance
*Django in June
*Northampton Jazz Festival
*Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival
*Out for Reel - LGBT Film Series
*Chalk Art Festival
*Twist Arts and Craft Fair

Northampton Film Liaison

The Northampton Film Liaison will assist with planning and coordination for film production within the City of Northampton and make any necessary regional connections for site locations, vendors, municipal departmental coordination, permits, and other necessary assistance.

Northampton Film Liaison
Teri Anderson
Community & Economic Development Director
413-587-1253
tanderson@northamptonma.gov

MA Film Office

The MA Film Office provides one-stop shopping for studio executives, producers, and independent filmmakers seeking to do business in the state. The MA Film Office assists filmmakers with location scouting, tax credit information, crew referrals, housing, permitting, government relations, and union issues. MA offers some of the best film tax credits in the nation.

Massachusetts Film Tax Credits

Studios, producers and filmmakers who either shoot at least half of their movie or spend at least half of their production budget in MA are eligible for a tax credit equal to 25 cents for every new dollar of spending they bring to Massachusetts. No caps.

Beginning with the start of pre-production and continuing for a period of 12 months, filmmakers are eligible for 100% sales tax exemption on any production related items purchased in the state.

Massachusetts is the only state in the country that allows filmmakers to take their unused credits either as a direct rebate at 90% of the face value (guaranteed), or to sell them at market rate—whichever is more favorable.

With the spending threshold lowered to $50,000 and with “digital media projects” now eligible, the benefits of the MA film tax credit is now available to locally based, small independent and documentary filmmakers.