The Santa Monica City Council will outsource approval for film permits in the city to a new nonprofit that definitely isn’t Santa Monica Travel and Tourism (SMTT).
Film Santa Monica received the contract at the July 29 meeting after Council chose to end its longstanding deal with FilmLA, the established non-profit that has handled film permitting for much of Los Angeles County since 1995.
The Staff report for the item describes Film Santa Monica as a division of SMTT. Film Santa Monica’s application was organized by Evan Edwards, SMTT’s COO, using her SMTT email address and SMTT phone number. SMTT President/CEO Misti Kerns signed the required fiscal disclosures for the organization. Nonprofits are required by law to have boards of at least three members and according to Edwards, the SMTT Board will double as the legally required board for Film Santa Monica with a subcommittee
However, Edwards said it is a new, standalone entity. “Film Santa Monica has its own EIN and Santa Monica Business License,” she said.
Edwards said Film Santa Monica is a non-profit organization 501(c) 4, whose goal is to market Santa Monica as a world class filming destination and provide concierge type services.
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is a private, non-profit corporation established in 1982 and funded by the City of Santa Monica's general fund and Tourism Marketing District assessment that operates under contract to promote Santa Monica as a conference, business and leisure travel destination. As an accredited Destination Marketing Organization and Santa Monica Green Certified Business, SMTT serves as a sales and service organization that acts as the marketing representative for local businesses and the community while also operating three visitor center locations staffed with trained travel specialists who provide visitors guides, maps, and comprehensive information on attractions, hotels, dining, museums, galleries and entertainment.
Edwards said SMTT wants to oversee film permits as film production is a vital driver of positive local economic impact.
“Film Santa Monica was created specifically to deliver a tailored and efficient permitting experience for those interested in filming here,” she said. “We are concentrated exclusively on promoting Santa Monica and further establishing our unique identity that distinguishes us from other location competitors. The strong brand of Santa Monica helps to build trust, drives our recognition ultimately increasing opportunities for employment, business values and sales.”
She said establishing a separate entity allows SMTT to maintain accountability with a structure solely devoted to increased film permitting and production support for Santa Monica, Los Angeles and California.
Santa Monica has outsourced film permitting since 2013 due to the volume and complexity of requests. The city requires permits for commercial filming and photography in public spaces including streets, parks, city facilities, Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica State Beach and beach parking lots.
The three-year contract has no cost to the city covering permit coordination, permit process improvement, marketing, notification, monitoring and complaint referral services for filming activities on public property and in city facilities. Film Santa Monica will charge processing fees directly to applicants rather than the city.
Staff recommended Film Santa Monica following an evaluation process that began with a request for proposals issued in February. The city received three bids and selected Film Santa Monica based on criteria including ability to meet objectives, experience, stability and value-added services.
Staff said Film Santa Monica is uniquely positioned to elevate the City of Santa Monica's film permit program by leveraging SMTT’s prior expertise in destination marketing, industry partnerships, and strategic outreach.
The contract includes an option for a two-year renewal at the city's discretion. Film Santa Monica will coordinate permits for all public areas and city-owned facilities while notifying residents and businesses of filming activities.
Film and television production in Los Angeles has plummeted over the past five years, with on-location filming in Greater LA dropping more than 30% between 2018 and 2023. Last year recorded just 23,480 shoot days, one of the lowest totals in decades, and production remained 22% below 2024 levels in the first quarter of 2025.
The industry's workforce has contracted dramatically. Motion picture payrolls in the LA region averaged about 100,000 jobs in 2024, down 25% from pre-COVID levels. The unemployment rate for film and TV workers hovers around 20%, and industry guilds estimate 18,000 California crew jobs have disappeared over three years.
Only about 20% of television series for North American audiences are now filmed in California, as productions increasingly migrate to competing markets offering more generous incentives. States like Georgia, New York and New Mexico provide tax credits of 30-40%, compared to California's 20% standard credit. These rival jurisdictions now capture four of every five new film and television projects.
High costs and regulatory hurdles compound the problem. Los Angeles has some of the world's highest production expenses, from crew wages to location fees, while complex permitting processes burden filmmakers with additional costs and delays.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has called the decline a "crisis" for the state. California's share of national motion-picture employment has fallen to its lowest level in decades, dropping from over half the U.S. market a decade ago to about 46% in 2023.
California has taken significant steps to try to revitalize its film and television industry with the historic expansion of the state's Film and Television Tax Credit Program, more than doubling annual funding from $330 million to $750 million.
Newsom signed the expansion into law in July, with the California Assembly and Senate approving programmatic changes through AB 1138. The legislation represents the culmination of a year-long campaign by the Entertainment Union Coalition, which represents 165,000 workers in California's film industry.
"California is where filmed entertainment was born, and with this expansion, we're making sure it stays here," Newsom said. "We're not just investing in productions and soundstages—we're investing in middle-class careers, small businesses, and the communities that power this iconic industry."
The expanded program introduces several key changes designed to keep production in California. The base credit rate increases to 35% for all participants, including independent productions. The per-production cap rises to $120 million, while funding for independent films triples from $26 million to $75 million.
New project types now eligible include half-hour series, animation and large-scale competition series. Productions filming outside Los Angeles can receive credits up to 45% for certain expenditures, encouraging geographic diversity within the state.