Mayor Lurie Signs Legislation Authored by President Mandelman to Bring More Productions to the City and Support San Francisco’s Film and Arts Communities

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today signed legislation championed by Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman to modernize and strengthen San Francisco’s film incentive program—which will help attract film and television productions back to San Francisco and support the city’s creative community. The legislation, passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, updates the long-running Scene in San Francisco incentive program to encourage productions to shoot locally, hire local artistic talent and crews, and spend money at San Francisco businesses.

The signing of legislation to support San Francisco’s filmmaking community builds on Mayor Lurie’s work to accelerate the city’s recovery by strengthening the city’s arts, culture, and entertainment ecosystem. In January, the mayor announced a major step forward in his work to advance San Francisco’s creative economy with the launch of a search for San Francisco’s new executive director of arts and culture. In his first year in office, he launched SF LIVE, a citywide show guide and online events calendar to drive ticket sales for live arts venues and SF Music Week, which returns this month, to strengthen San Francisco’s position as a vital music hub. This summer, he launched a free downtown concert series, celebrated the “Summer of Music” that drew tens of thousands and generated over $150 million in local economic impact, and kicked off the “Winter of Music.” He has also directed more than $10.4 million in grants to 145 artists and arts nonprofits through the San Francisco Arts Commission, along with over $14 million in local arts and culture funding through important work that will continue to be supported under the new organization.   

“Every time people visit San Francisco, they’re blown away by our city’s beauty and energy. Film takes that feeling and carries it far beyond our city limits. And when productions choose San Francisco, they do more than showcase our city’s outstanding beauty. They invest directly in our workers, our neighborhoods, and our creative economy,” said Mayor Lurie. “Our arts and culture will drive our city’s comeback, and film is an essential part of that equation. I want to thank Board President Mandelman and all of the partners who helped shape this effort. Let’s keep investing in San Francisco’s arts and culture—and in our city’s future.” 

“When film productions choose San Francisco, they showcase the city we love and invest directly in the people who live and work here,” said President Mandelman. “More than 16,000 local crew members and actors have had job opportunities because of this program, and a single production can generate millions in local spending. As localities across the state compete to attract more film production, San Francisco must stay in the game. Strengthening our film incentive program will keep jobs in San Francisco and help ensure this important economic activity doesn’t bypass us.”  

The incentive program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has not been updated since its inception in 2006. The legislation modernizes the program to keep the city competitive, offering: 

• A 10% rebate on qualified local spending (San Francisco goods/services and resident wages) on the first $1 million
• A 20% rebate on qualified spending above $1 million
• A 100% rebate on city fees, including permits, police services, use of city property, and more, for a total of up to $1 million in savings 

Previously, the incentive only rebated city fees up to $600,000 and required productions to shoot at least 55-65% of principal photography in San Francisco. Despite the initial success of the program, fewer and fewer productions have chosen to shoot in San Francisco in recent years. 

The Scene in San Francisco incentive has brought dozens of productions to the city, highlighting the talent of San Francisco-based artists, storytellers, and world-class crews. The program has rebated $7.6 million to productions, supported 48 projects, delivered over $26 million in wages to local workers, and generated more than $69 million in spending at city businesses, a return of $12.50 for every dollar invested. 

“San Francisco has always been a city that celebrates bold artistry and embodies a visual character unlike anywhere else. Storytelling is essential to our identity, and these updates to the Scene in San Francisco incentive program mark a turning point for our city,” said Manijeh Fata, San Francisco Film Commission Executive Director. “This is about more than attracting productions—it’s about driving meaningful local spending and supporting the San Franciscans who power this industry, from our union crews and independent filmmakers to the small businesses we rely on every day: camera and lighting houses, caterers, drivers, security teams, hotels, restaurants, and neighborhood merchants. When productions choose San Francisco, they invest directly in our economy and strengthen the creative ecosystem that makes San Francisco a cinematic icon.” 

“As Vice President of the San Francisco Film Commission, my focus is on keeping union film and television jobs here in San Francisco while ensuring our city remains competitive for production,” said Tony Delorio, Vice President of the San Francisco Film Commission and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 665. “San Francisco’s updated incentive directly supports our local workforce by rewarding productions that hire union crews and spend with local businesses. These updates protect good jobs, strengthen our creative economy, and help ensure that San Francisco continues to be a world-class destination for filmmakers.” 
“San Francisco is a city that shaped me, so being able to film Josephine in my hometown was essential to the storytelling. Thanks to the support of Film SF's incentive, we were able to make this film in the place that inspired it—something that truly would not have been possible otherwise,” said Beth de Araújo, writer and director of Josephine, winner of the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. “Having Josephine’s world premiere at Sundance served as a reminder of what’s possible when a city invests in its storytellers. These updates to the incentive will open the door for even more SF filmmakers to create affordably and authentically, with the incredible support of the San Francisco Film Commission. This city has so many stories to tell, and I’m excited to see what comes next.” 

“I've been lucky enough to film parts of several TV series in San Francisco throughout my career, including a big portion of A Man on the Inside season one,” said Morgan Sackett, Emmy Award-winning producer and director. “It's always an amazing place to shoot—one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a great crew base. On A Man on the Inside, Film SF was extremely helpful in making the city an easy place to film, which hasn't been historically its reputation. However, I found it to be a cost-effective and amazing backdrop to tell a story. In a competitive arena for landing entertainment projects, I think that this new film incentive will go a long way to restoring San Francisco to a filmmaker's destination.” 

“What Manijeh Fata and Film SF are doing is so exciting to me as a filmmaker who wants to keep making things here as long as I live. She's been instrumental in my ability to do that,” said Joe Talbot, writer and director of The Last Black Man in San Francisco. “In large part due to them, I think SF is on its way to becoming a great film city again." 

“Videofax has been supporting filmmakers in San Francisco for decades by providing camera rentals, production gear, and technical support to projects of all sizes,” said Nicholas Schrader, owner of the San Francisco-based camera house Videofax. “We were proud to be a local vendor on Beth de Araújo’s latest feature, Josephine. We saw firsthand how the Scene in San Francisco incentive made the film possible. Updates to this program and the legislation behind it are incredibly meaningful for small businesses like ours — they keep productions local, strengthen the creative economy, and ensure that the people and companies who make filmmaking possible in this city continue to thrive.” 

“As President of the San Francisco Film Commission, my focus is on elevating San Francisco’s brand on a global stage while ensuring our city remains competitive for film and television production,” said Jack Song, San Francisco Film Commission President. “The updated incentive further strengthens our ability to attract high-impact projects that showcase San Francisco’s iconic locations, diverse neighborhoods, and creative energy. Every production filmed here is an opportunity to tell new stories about our city and to reinforce San Francisco’s reputation as a world-class destination for storytellers.”