With the success of the Milwaukee International Film Festival, it's hard to imagine that Wisconsin could still be so far behind other states when it comes to the film industry.

But when the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, a national organization representing companies that produce commercials for advertisers and agencies, ranked the 50 states on their "film friendliness," Wisconsin placed dead last.

It didn't help that when state budget time came around again, Governor Jim Doyle proposed eliminating the state's Film Office. On April 26 the Wisconsin Joint Legislative Committee voted 16-0 to cease funding the office. So, after promoting the state as a location for on-site filmmaking and production and acting as a database for the state's film industry for 18 years, the Film Office will close on July 1.

Mike Prentiss, a spokesman for State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), says that the decision was largely based on past results.

“If you look at the amount of funding that has gone into the Film Office and the number of movies actually made here, the numbers don’t add up.”

Fitzgerald says the Department of Tourism can take over the responsibility of promoting Wisconsin. But those closer to the film industry have a much different opinion.

"What so many people don't understand is that a strong film, commercial and television industry is a viable economic resource for your state. It creates jobs and puts tax dollars back into the Wisconsin's economy," says Julie Mynatt, editor of Screen Magazine.

When ESPN's 2004 Great Outdoor Games were filmed in Madison, for example, the event brought millions of dollars into the state.

Without the Film Office, Wisconsin can't competitively market itself to national production companies and filmmakers, and therefore doesn't have a fighting chance of drawing attention away from other states. Basically, it sends the wrong message, one that says, "we don't care about film here."

“I think closing the office was a big mistake from a financial and a public relations standpoint,” says State representative Sheldon Wasserman. “Yes, we’re tight on money, but there are dollars to be returned in this industry. It’s a low-cost investment with big payoffs and having an office to coordinate everything is crucial.”

In an attempt to combat the loss of a film facilitator and cheerleader, a group of Wisconsin industry professionals has stepped in to fill the gap. Michael Graf of Spot Filmworks, Ltd., Wayne Clingman of Sparta Rocks! Productions, and Scott Robbe of Mondo Productions are organizing what is tentatively called the Wisconsin Film Board, a collection of industry professionals and business leaders working with the state government to assume and expand upon the responsibilities of the Film Office.

"If we want to compete as a state, we need to play catch up," says Robbe. According to Robbe and crew, it's all about the incentives. "Right now it is less expensive to shoot a film in New York City, L.A. or in Canada than here and that is because those areas offer great tax incentives."

Even states like Louisiana, New Mexico and Indiana have surprisingly flourishing film industries due in large part to big labor tax credits and rebates those states offer to production companies.

The Film Board will lobby state government for similar tax incentives in Wisconsin. They also plan to coordinate arts organizations and the state's Department of Commerce and Tourism to create incentives packages and "free" public locations and service offers for production companies willing to shoot in Wisconsin. These incentives increase the appeal of Wisconsin as a film state, and the state would earn tax revenue on the increased spending on hotels, restaurants and production services that accompany a film shoot.

Plus, if the state agrees to support the construction of an attractive local film infrastructure, including sound stages and equipment, native independent filmmakers and film students could actually stay and work in the state instead of heading to the coasts in search of jobs.

The organization itself is still at a grassroots level as a group of motivated individuals with ideas. So far, three meetings have been held -- two in Madison and one in Milwaukee -- to organize a steering committee and get filmmakers and businesses from around the state involved.

Wisconsin has a lot to offer and has even more to gain from developing a progressive film and television industry. The bottom line, says Robbe is that "it keeps people living and working and doing cool things in Wisconsin."

To get involved with the Wisconsin Film Board or to attend future meetings, contact Scott Robbe at scottltd1@earthlink.net.