Maine Beckons Filmmakers With Unique Locations and Strong Incentives

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – With its rocky coastlines, forested interior, quaint towns, seaside villages, 19th century architecture and breathtaking sunrises at Casco Bay, Maine offers a special flavor for producers seeking unique locations for their next project. On top of all that, the state provides a 10-12% wage rebate and a 5% production-spend tax credit.

Incentive specifics include a 10% wage rebate for nonresidents and a 12% wage rebate for residents. The production spend tax credit is set at 5%. The program compensation cap is set at $50,000, and the minimum spend per project has to be $75,000. There is no annual or project cap.

Other Maine attractions include its nostalgic appeal – a true asset to filmmakers looking to capture American small-town simplicity. Portland, its largest city, pleases the eye with streets lined with quaint shops. Bangor offers cultural festivals that provide a feel-good ambiance.

A darker side of the state can be found at locations popularized by its most famous writer, Stephen King. His “Pet Sematary” was shot entirely in Miane, as were scenes from “It.”

Other projects shot in the Pine Tree State include “The Gettysburg Address” (2018), “Island Zero” (2018), “The Witch Files” (2018), “The Congressman” (2016) and “To Keep the Light” (2016).

Information courtesy of the Production Incentives team at Entertainment Partners .