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A film being shot in Cody, Wyoming hopes to prove the case for a state-wide film incentive
May 02, 2024
Show notes( Hannah Barefoot)
For the past two years, Wyoming tourism advocates have tried to pass a film rebate incentive program through the state legislature. Filming in the state has its challenges, mainly because it does not offer financial incentives for filmmakers like other surrounding states including Montana, Utah, and Colorado.
Although this year a film rebate incentive program wasn’t introduced during the legislative session, advocates in Cody are taking another route to try to attract films to the region.
A Western Movie
A vintage rodeo poster, an elk mount, and antique washboards. These are some of the items hanging on the walls viewable from the dancefloor at Cassie’s Steakhouse in Cody where Mike Canada organizes an open mic night.
On a weeknight in February, a handful of locals munched on steaks and baked potatoes while they enjoyed the music, but this time of year the wooden dance floor is pretty empty.
But, later this year, actor Hannah Barefoot plans to pack this former brothel turned cowboy bar and restaurant with a film crew to shoot part of her movie “Midnight Clear.” She said it's a Western set during Christmas where a single mom tries to save her family’s struggling dude ranch.
“They always say, ‘Write what you know,’ and as I was starting to think about what this script would be, I just started thinking about how much I love my hometown; I love Cody; I love Wyoming in general,” she said.
Barefoot says as the characters and the story started coming together, there was no question that it had to be set in Cody at places like the Irma Hotel, the Cowboy Palace western wear shop, and her family friend’s dude ranch near Yellowstone.
People in Hollywood liked the idea.
“But because Wyoming doesn’t have a film industry. There’s not a tax incentive; there’s no crew. And so they’re like, ‘Yeah we love this script, we’ll shoot it in Canada.’ Or, ‘We love this script, we'll shoot it in Montana or New Mexico,’” Barefoot said.
A film incentive rebate program
Wyoming had a film incentive rebate program that got started in 2009, but it went through some budget cuts and was sunsetted in 2018. In 2019, the legislature voted not to continue it.
Ever since, there have been efforts to bring it back. During last year's legislative session, Wyoming Department of Tourism Executive Director Diane Shober spoke to the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee about the program's success.
“And during that time there were over 30 productions that took place and the economic contributions and qualified expenditures during that time were $18,329,000. Of that 18 million, $9,125,000 were in crew and salary and wages for Wyoming qualified workforce that totaled 320 different crew,” she said.
In the proposed program, some productions could qualify for up to a 30 percent rebate for Wyoming expenses for things like hiring local staff and production equipment rentals.
According to a document from the Wyoming Department of Tourism, the state is losing out to other states with film incentives, including projects like “Wind River,” “Longmire,” and “1883,” one of the “Yellowstone” prequels.
Kelly Eastes runs the film office in Casper and a newly formed one in Cody. He told the committee last year that he scouted locations several times for “1883.”
“They wanted locations outside of Casper near Independence Rock, and we had things set up for them, but the incentive drew them to Montana since we didn’t have that available to us,” he said.
A University of Montana study showed that in one year 2.1 million people were inspired by the “Yellowstone” TV show to visit Montana, and when they came, they spent an estimated $730 million.
At the legislative meeting, several members of the committee expressed concern over how Wyoming could be depicted in film projects, including Rawlins Representative Donald Burkhart.
“If a company, a film company, came to Wyoming and met all of these requirements and produced a documentary that was derogatory and disruptive to our mineral extraction industry would they qualify for these?” he asked.
Cody Representative Sandy Newsome said even though the legislation ultimately received an 8-1 yes vote from the committee and was sent to the House for debate, it was not introduced on the House floor last year.
“Well, I would like to bring it back, but there doesn’t seem an appetite in the legislature for it at this point. We had a changeover of a lot of new members who are maybe ideologically opposed to incentives of any kind,” she said.
The proposed film incentive would be funded by the state’s lodging tax, not taxpayer dollars.
A new approach
Newsome still wants the legislature to consider it in the future, but for now, she’s hoping the newly formed Cody Yellowstone film office will bring more business to Northwest Wyoming. The Park County Travel Council recently launched the film office.
“At the moment, we aren’t able to offer really any incentives, but if they are able to book their picture in the wintertime, we can get very aggressive on hotel rates for them,” said Ryan Hauck who is the Park County Travel Council’s executive director.
The film office has already negotiated hotel room rates for Barefoot’s upcoming movie and is helping her hire local talent. They can also help film projects with scouting locations, permitting, and other logistics. Barefoot said she hopes filming it in Cody during the off season will give her hometown an economic boost.
“We want to then take this film that’s done without a film incentive and then show, ‘Look at how much we did without a film incentive, how much more could we do? How much more could we accomplish if there were a film incentive, and if there were an actual industry that was a viable economic industry for this state?’” she said.
Barefoot’s film “Midnight Clear” will be shot in Cody later this year. She anticipates releasing it before the holidays in 2025.
Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable: May 1, 2024
May 01, 2024
Show notes An Idaho Matters couple sent us this picture from their backyard in the East End of Boise where a pair of ducks often drop by for a drink and a quick bath. (Listener photo / Idaho Matters)
There's a whooping cough outbreak in North Idaho, Bird Flu is spreading and may have hit a third Idaho dairy and EMTALA arguments have been heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about all of this and to answer your questions, including this one: with Bird Flu spreading, should you keep feeding those ducks in your backyard?
Remembering Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Tubman
Apr 30, 2024
Show notes A statue of Harriet Tubman at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Maryland.(Craig James)
When it comes to American history, especially around the 1850s, two women stand out as lightning rods for dramatic change in society.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's best-selling anti-slavery novel had a profound effect on how White people saw African Americans that some say helped lead to the Civil War.
Harriet Tubman rescued dozens of black people from slavery through the “Underground Railroad” and never stopped fighting for the rights of African Americans and women.
History professor Dr. Richard Bell from the University of Maryland joins Idaho Matters to talk more about these two amazing women.
Why author Patrick Hinds is embracing failure
Apr 30, 2024
Show notesFailure on board. (contrastwerkstatt/contrastwerkstatt)
You may know Patrick Hinds as one of the voices behind the tremendously successful podcast "True Crime Obsessed."
What you may not know is that Patrick is also a self professed failure, something he looks at in his new book "Failure is Not NOT an Option." He joined Idaho Matters to talk more about his new book and tour.
Exploring the plants of Craters of the Moon
Apr 29, 2024
Show notes
Maybe a hot, rocky landscape. A gray, empty, volcanic area where nothing grows and plants can't survive.
Well, it turns out a lot of plants can survive in this desert in Eastern Idaho, and Dr. Lynn Kinter knows firsthand. She's been studying plants for more than 35 years.
Dr. Kinter is an adjunct graduate faculty member in the department of Biological Sciences at Boise State University and she joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
'Sex, Lies and Sensibility:' An author interview with Nikki Payne
Apr 29, 2024
Show notes( Berkley)
Readers fell in love with author Nikki Payne's debut novel, "Pride and Protest," a retelling of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." It got all kinds of buzz, from Ebony Magazine to Oprah Daily.
Now Payne is back with her latest novel, "Sex, Lies and Sensibility," a modern re-working of Austen's "Sense and Sensibility." She joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her new release.
Finding Basque history in the trees of Idaho
Apr 29, 2024
Show notes( John Bieter)
Throughout Idaho, there is a rich history of Basque culture, a piece of which can be found in many of the forests across Idaho in the form of tree carvings.
Known as arborglyphs, these markings were commonly left by sheepherders, providing a glimpse into the past of an often overlooked population. And for years now, Boise State University professor John Bieter has made it a priority to document these fading artifacts.
Bieter joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this work and the significance of arborglyphs.
The secret life of migrating birds
Apr 29, 2024
Show notes(timber1212 / Flickr)
Though Idaho is still experiencing a bit of cold weather, the song of migrating birds is proof that spring is in the air.
And as the days continue to get longer, we'll start to see more of these returning travelers in larger numbers. From cranes to swans to swallows, birds big and small are making their way back to the Gem State, some traveling thousands of miles—a journey that many experts are still working to understand.
Including Heidi Ware Carlisle, the Education and Outreach Director of Intermountain Bird Observatory. She joined Idaho Matters to talk more about migrating birds.
Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: April 26, 2024
Apr 26, 2024
Show notesA temporary memorial featuring Deputy Tobin Bolter’s patrol vehicle is set up in front of the Ada County Sheriff's Office (7200 W. Barrister Dr in Boise). Star Police, Kuna Police and Eagle Police substations also have dedicated memorial spots.( Ada County Sheriff's Office / Facebook)
It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on all the news that made headlines this past week.
'Becoming Madam Secretary:' An author interview with Stephanie Dray
Apr 25, 2024
Show notes(Berkley )
This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 18, 2024.
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray is back with a look at one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, Frances Perkins. It's a name you may not be familiar with, but you should be.
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