Jason Waggenspack, head of Film Louisiana, joins the show to provide a candid update on the state of Louisiana’s film industry as it heads into the fourth quarter of 2025. Despite some indie productions gaining traction locally, major studios continue to favor overseas and Canadian locations due to cost savings and lack of federal incentives in the U.S. Jason emphasized that unless financial opportunities shift—particularly through a proposed federal film incentive—the trend may persist into next year.

He discussed the idea behind the “Make Film Great Again” initiative, which, while not an official organization, reflects growing efforts to establish a federal film commission. Led in part by Baton Rouge’s Katie Pryor and her Film USA initiative, the goal is to study and support domestic film production through potential labor-based tax credits. Jason stressed that the issue is economic, not political, tracing the industry’s shift to streaming during COVID and the subsequent labor strikes that pushed studios to cheaper international markets.

The conversation highlighted the importance of jobs, noting that at its peak, Louisiana’s film industry supported nearly 10,000 jobs and contributed over a billion dollars in spending. Jason called for renewed loyalty from unions and stars to advocate for domestic production, especially in states like Louisiana with competitive incentives.

While studio projects remain sparse, indie films are still being made, though many are awaiting distribution. Jason pointed to Angel Studios as a promising new model for independent production and distribution. He encouraged listeners to stay tuned for upcoming local projects and emphasized the need for structural changes to bring film jobs—and their economic benefits—back to Louisiana.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.