“Made in Michigan.”    For decades that phrase would conjure images of cars rolling off an assembly line.  Today, while the struggling auto industry fights for its survival, Michigan is giving birth to a new and flourishing industry – the film industry.

Last year, 35 film projects shot in Michigan, including Clint Eastwood’s successful Gran Torino.   According to Janet Lockwood, director of the Michigan Film Office, the state has already received 58 applications for filming this year.  The reason?  The state of Michigan has an aggressive new film incentive program which offers a cash back tax rebate of up to 42 percent to production companies spending a minimum of $50,000 in the Great Lakes state, as well as other incentives for film, television, and digital media production.

In 2008, Michigan realized $125 million in expenditures from completed productions.  It refunded more than $47 million in tax credits.

This Studio Daily reporter caught up with Janet Lockwood at the 11th annual Waterfront Film Festival (WFF) held June 11-14 on the west side of Michigan in the lakefront city of Saugatuck (just a few hours drive from both Detroit and Chicago).   We all gathered for the festival’s panel discussion entitled, “Cash Back: Making Your Movie in Michigan.”

The panel included Lockwood; Hopwood DePree, founder of the WFF and CEO of TicTock Studios; Marcia Fishman of SAG; Tim Magee of the I.A.T.S.E union; entertainment attorney Jennifer Nichols and Dori DePree, head of Michigan casting services.  The group spoke to a standing room only audience eager to learn more about the opportunities in Michigan.

Lockwood pointed out that the state is making great strides in attracting and supporting major film productions, however, the program will not be a success without the proper infrastructure.  The state of Michigan is also providing a 25 percent tax credit for film and digital media infrastructure investments, including building new or expanding existing facilities.

Three new motion picture studios are currently slated to open in the metro Detroit area.  One is the new Raleigh Studios Michigan.  This former General Motors complex is being converted into a state-of-the-art, 600,000-square-foot studio complex that will house sound stages, post production facilities, and animation studios.  Based in Pontiac, the new studio, which is slated to open later this year, is a partnership between Nelson Ventures, The Taubman Group, and William Morris Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel.

Also, Michigan residents are taking advantage of state-sponsored programs and incentives to re-train workers for careers in film production.  Specs Howard School, a leading broadcast arts educational school has launched a new training facility “Specs Howard On Location” that will offer courses in such areas as advanced film editing.  Dupree’s TicTock studio also offers a crew training program.

Tim Magee of the I.A.T.S.E. union, which represents below the line workers, says he has seen a 30 percent increase in the organization’s Michigan membership.

“Michigan is the talk of Hollywood right now, said Hopwood DePree.  “The entertainment industry…..is exploding in Michigan,” he added.

The Waterfront Film Festival, ranked among the top five favorite film festivals by SAGIndie, showcased a slate of feature films, shorts and documentaries.   According to WFF officials, the strong interest in filming in Michigan also boosted attendance this year.  The fest realized its best year ever – with more than 16,000 people in attendance.  A few Hollywood notables were also on hand, including Yeardley Smith — best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson on The Simpsons.  Smith is the lead in Waiting for Ophelia, which made its Midwest premiere at the fest.  Also on hand was actress Daryl Hannah who appears in Fierce Light, which recently garnered Best Documentary Feature – Honorable Mention at the Vancouver Film Festival.

Filmmaker Dan Ewald premiered his feature, Jesus People, at the WFF.  Ewald already has a green light on his next project entitled, Smile, a buddy comedy, which according to Ewald, will be shot in Michigan and will be a cinematic love letter to his home state.