Editing Film Liaison of Escambia County

[[Image:FilmCommissionLogo.png|right|200px|Film North Florida logo]]
The '''Film Liaison of Escambia County''' (also known as the '''film commission''') is a division of the [[Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau]] responsible for promoting the Pensacola area to film and television productions by showcasing potential shooting locations and offering incentives like sales tax exemptions.

The commission operates a website, '''Film North Florida''' ([http://www.filmnorthflorida.com/ filmnorthflorida.com]) that features a directory of location photos and area production vendors.

The film office dates back to October [[1999]], when [[Denise Daughtry]] was awarded a $6,000 contract by the [[Escambia County Commission]] to conduct the groundwork for such an organization. The contract later grew to more than $50,000 for a one-year interim film commission that expired in [[2000]]. She asked for a $100,000 extension for the next year, but after local production groups complained about their lack of input,<ref>"Companies want shot at films." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 7, 2000.</ref> the Commission voted 4-1 (with Commissioner [[Mike Bass]] dissenting) to cancel plans for a county film commission.<ref>"Commissioners find a way to avoid the movie business." ''Pensacola News Journal'', December 13, 2000.</ref> Daughtry's husband, former news personality [[David Daughtry]], had recently been granted a $48,000 contract by the County Commission for a six-month study to create a county public information office, a proposal added unexpectedly by Commissioner Bass and similarly criticized by several public relations firms for the lack of an open bidding process.<ref>"Commissioners want to create $48,000 PR job." ''Pensacola News Journal'', July 19, 2000.</ref>

After the county abandoned plans for a film commission, the idea was picked up by the [[Arts Council of Northwest Florida]]<ref>"Arts Council to develop plan for an area film commission." ''Pensacola News Journal'', January 19, 2001.</ref> before the [[Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce]] created the liaison office as part of its Convention & Visitors Bureau.{{fact}}

The current film commissioner is [[Tom Roush]], who assisted Daughtry in the initial commission study and also organizes the [[Pensacola International Film Festival]].

==External links & references==
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*[http://www.filmnorthflorida.com/ www.filmnorthflorida.com] &ndash; Official site
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[[Category:Film]]
[[Category:Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce]]