PORTLAND, Maine — A recent statewide survey by the Maine Film Association and the University of Maine School of Economics professor Todd Gabe shows that Maine's film production industry has driven an annual $64 million economic impact for the state, an MFA news release says.
The survey collected data from the industry's 2019 revenue, as well as data from the expenses of 128 Maine-based companies in the industry, including freelance.
Maine's film industry proves beneficial to Maine's workforce, supporting 609 full-time and part-time positions, the news release stated.
"Maine has a vibrant film and media industry that is ripe for growth," MFA Advocacy Chair Louise Rosen said in the news release. "As Maine struggles with various challenges in natural resource- and tourist-reliant industries, the green, non-extractive film production industry is, in fact, a huge opportunity for workforce and economic growth."
Currently, the industry includes more than 40 production companies, in addition to over 200 freelance filmmakers who are working out of the state of Maine.
"These companies and professionals work in all stages and aspects of media production, creating and distributing feature-length and short, narrative and documentary, commercial and educational film and video, multimedia installations, and animation," the news release says.
With Maine's film industry growing and expanding, it can help contribute successfully to the State of Maine's Strategic Planning for Economic Development plan, which aims to employ 75,000 people in Maine by 2029.
"Maine has the opportunity to create an environment that fosters growth within this innovative workforce, an environment that will entice young, creative, and tech-savvy professionals to come to Maine and offer exciting reasons for Maine's own talent to stay," Rosen said in the news release.
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