EIDC Film Office Becomes FilmL.A., Inc.

EIDC Film Office Becomes FilmL.A., Inc.

New Name and Downtown Headquarters Underscore Response to Growing Worldwide Competition for Entertainment Production

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC) -- the Los Angeles region's one-of-a-kind private, nonprofit film office charged with facilitating on-location production -- today announced that it has changed its name to FilmL.A., Inc. The name change coincides with the company's December 19 move from Hollywood to new headquarters downtown at Los Angeles Center Studios.

FilmL.A. President Steve MacDonald says the new name reflects the need to be more proactive in response to increasing competition from other regions attempting to lure entertainment production.

"FilmL.A. is not just a name, it's a statement that we are committed to keeping L.A.'s signature industry right here at home, where it belongs," said MacDonald. "It's also an invitation to the entertainment industry to keep production and high quality jobs in the L.A. region."

The entertainment industry generates an estimated 250,000 jobs and more than $30 billion a year for the local economy. FilmL.A. has been working with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to combat runaway production via new incentives and efforts to streamline the permitting process. The first such effort is a plan announced by the Mayor last month to waive location fees for production at City-owned property.

According to MacDonald, FilmL.A. is in the midst of a series of initiatives to help the nonprofit do an even better job of balancing the sometimes conflicting needs of its wide range of stakeholders. These entities include municipal clients, production industry customers and the residents and business owners in neighborhoods that host on-location production.

FilmL.A. is developing new, highly customized information technology to streamline the on-location permitting process. The new system will also improve the gathering, processing and reporting of neighborhood information. In addition, the nonprofit corporation continues to benefit from a 2003 reorganization that included new bylaws and installation of an entirely new board of directors comprised of representatives from major studios, independent production companies, industry vendors, professional guilds/labor unions and neighborhoods, as well as business and civic leaders.

"With all of these changes, we're positioning FilmL.A. for the challenges of today's global, highly competitive entertainment industry," added MacDonald.

About FilmL.A., Inc.

Founded in 1995, FilmL.A., Inc. (formerly EIDC) is a private, one-of-a-kind nonprofit corporation that works on behalf of film, television and commercial producers, Los Angeles area residents and local government to sustain the Los Angeles region's status as the global leader in media production. FilmL.A. holds contracts with local cities and government agencies to facilitate on-location production. More information about FilmL.A. Inc. is available at www.filmlainc.com.

Source: Entertainment Industry Development Corporation; FilmL.A., Inc.

CONTACT: Erik Deutsch of ExcelPR Group, +1-323-851-2300, ext. 112,
erikd@excelpr.com, for Entertainment Industry Development Corporation and
FilmL.A., Inc.; or Philip Sokoloski of Entertainment Industry Development
Corporation, +1-323-957-1000, ext. 130, philip_sokoloski@eidc.com

Web site: http://www.filmlainc.com/

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