COLUMBUS – Ohio Department of Development Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel today announced that nearly $1.4 million in Motion Picture Tax Credits are being made available to two independent film productions set to shoot in Ohio in the coming months.

The latest round of tax credits is in addition to the nearly $7 million that was made available to four Ohio productions in January 2010, and brings the total amount of awarded tax credits that much closer to the $10 million cap allocated by the state for Fiscal Year 2010.

“To see the success of the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit in action is thrilling,” Patt-McDaniel said. “The tax credit incentive is helping to build on our economic recovery by creating job opportunities and economic activity in the communities serving as film sets. Ohio has much to offer these productions, including our beautiful scenery, hard working and talented crews, and strong incentives.”

The most recent productions to receive the tax credit include Life After, a film by Cincinnati native Jim Amatulli, and 25 Hill, a film by actor and director Corbin Bernsen.

Life After is a supernatural, suspense drama that centers around a landscape architect who takes a job as a caretaker for a neglected cemetery. He convinces his wife and daughter to move into the house on the grounds, as a spirit guides him along a dangerous path to a hidden   treasure.

“As a Cincinnati-based filmmaker, I’ve made one feature at home and a second in San Diego,” Amatulli said. “My personal objective is to make films in Ohio and be a part of a thriving industry. With other states offering a variety of incentives, I would have been forced to go elsewhere, but Ohio stepped up during a difficult time for truly independent films. I feel the incentive shows the state’s belief that we can provide the talent and services to attract filmmakers and help Ohio’s economy in the long term.”

25 Hill is about the annual Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio that has become a piece of American history since it began in 1934. Corbin Bernsen, currently an actor on the USA Network’s Psych, is starring in and directing the film, part of which will be shot during the derby in July.

“While the only logical place to shoot our film is in Ohio as the Soap Box Derby is held in Akron, I’ve come to greatly admire the community spirit and ‘can do’ attitude of both the people and local leaders,” Bernsen said. “Ohio is a state with diverse looks and a strong sense of history and purpose, which only adds to the backbone needed to ensure a film project’s success.”

Together the two films are expected to employ nearly 300 Ohioans as part of the production crews and extras. The films are also estimated to bring roughly $5 million in economic activity to the state.

“We are very excited about the announcement of these two projects,” said Jeremy Henthorn, Director of the Ohio Film Office. “Both films have strong ties to the state. Life After is directed by an Ohio resident and 25 Hill uses one of Ohio’s great traditions as a central character. With most of the crew being hired locally and the money spent through state vendors, these films will   provide an economic boost to the cities of Akron and Cincinnati and go a long way in furthering the development of a motion picture industry within the state.”

In order to be eligible for the tax credit, the production companies must show reviewable progress to the Ohio Film Office within 90 days of receiving the notification letter. In addition, they will only receive the tax credit upon completion of production.

The Ohio Film Office, housed within the Ohio Department of Development, administers the Motion Picture Tax Credit, which is made possible through legislation passed by the Ohio General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Ted Strickland on July 17, 2009. A total of $30 million in tax credits are available for interested production companies in Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011.

For more information, visit www.discoverohiofilm.com.