Highly anticipated film office will bring creative endeavors to Wisconsin’s doorstep, bolster travel and tourism economy, and strengthen film industry in Wisconsin
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers tonight, during his 2026 State of the State address, announced the highly anticipated launch of Wisconsin’s new film office, Film Wisconsin, and the state’s new film tax credit program, ushering in a new tool to bring creative endeavors to Wisconsin’s doorstep, bolster the state’s travel and tourism economy, and strengthen the film industry in Wisconsin. The state’s new film office and tax credit incentives program were created by the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed into law by Gov. Evers last year to help attract film and television productions to Wisconsin.
Administered by Film Wisconsin, the new film tax credit makes $5 million available annually to assist the production of feature and short films, scripted and unscripted television shows, documentaries, broadcast advertisements, and production infrastructure in Wisconsin. Prior to the governor’s creation of the new film office, Wisconsin was just one of four states without a dedicated film office.
Relevant excerpts from Gov. Evers’ 2026 State of the State address are available below:
“…And it’s a darn good thing we’ve been fixing the roads, because, under my administration, Wisconsin’s been welcoming more visitors than ever before. Investing in our tourism industry has been an important part of our work over the last seven years—and it’s paid off. Wisconsin’s travel and tourism industry has been setting records for three years running. In 2024, we had a hat-trick year: Wisconsin tourism brought in more money, welcomed more visitors, and generated a record-high $25.8 billion in total economic impact.
“A big driver of our tourism industry’s success is Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation economy. Biking and hiking, camping and canoeing, fishing and hunting, snowmobiling and skiing—you name it!—outdoor recreation is a part of our DNA as Wisconsinites. It’s also become an $11 billion industry that drives and supports local jobs and economies across our state. I proposed creating our state’s first-ever Office of Outdoor Recreation, and we worked together to get it done so that Wisconsin now has a dedicated office to support this critical economic industry. Our bipartisan budget last year also approved my request to create a new film office at the Department of Tourism and a new film tax credit program. I’m excited to announce we’re launching the new program this week, which will help bolster our travel and tourism economies and bring exciting, creative endeavors right to Wisconsin’s doorstep. …”
With the creation of Film Wisconsin and the new tax credit, new productions will result in a two-fold benefit to the state by employing local workers, requiring local lodging, and the purchasing of local goods and services to bolster local and statewide economies, but also through showcasing the state of Wisconsin and all it has to offer on a national and global stage to attract visitors for years to come.
To be eligible for tax credits, productions must spend a minimum of $100,000 for projects 30 minutes or longer and a minimum of $50,000 for projects less than 30 minutes. Projects may receive up to $1 million in tax credits per fiscal year. Eligible production expenses include cast and crew wages, accommodations, costs of set construction and operations, purchase or rental of facilities and equipment, location fees, and other production-related goods and services purchased and consumed within the state. Film Wisconsin will review tax credit applications monthly.
The tax credits are retroactive to eligible expenditures beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Learn more about Film Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Film Production Tax Credit at FilmWisconsin.com.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON EVERS ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO BOLSTER WISCONSIN’S TOURISM AND FILM INDUSTRY
Since 2019, and especially in the wake of the pandemic, Gov. Evers and his administration have made investing in Wisconsin’s tourism industry a top priority. Thanks in part to the governor’s efforts, in 2024, Wisconsin’s tourism industry saw its third consecutive record-breaking year of economic impact under the Evers Administration. According to 2024 economic impact data, the tourism industry generated a record-high $25.8 billion in total economic impact, or about $70 million per day, surpassing the previous record of $25 billion set in 2023, which itself was a record year.
Additionally, 2024 was a hat trick, as Wisconsin also welcomed a record-breaking 114.4 million visitors —a 1.4 million increase from the previous year and eclipsing the former record of 113.2 million visitors in 2019, and the state’s tourism industry generated a record amount of state and local revenue, generating a record $1.7 billion that goes back to local communities and essential state services.
The 2023-25 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers included a historic $34 million investment over the biennium for the Department of Tourism to promote Wisconsin as a premier destination for leisure, business, and group travel, amounting to the largest increase in tourism marketing and advertising funds in state history. These funds ensured the department could run strategic campaigns and remain competitive with neighboring states. Building on efforts of the 2023-25 Biennial Budget investment, the most recent 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers provided additional investments to bolster tourism in Wisconsin, including:
- Making the Office of Outdoor Recreation, created by Gov. Evers in the 2019-21 state budget, permanent;
- Investing over $30 million over the biennium for tourism marketing, which will help the agency attract events and increase advertising in key tourism markets;
- Creating a State Film Office and providing one new position as well as authority to provide up to $5 million annually for film production tax credits to attract film opportunities to the state;
- Providing $5 million for a Taliesin Preservation Grant to support projects that sustain Taliesin’s unique mix of nature and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture in Spring Green, Wisconsin, such as an education center, upgraded visitor amenities, and structural improvements;
- Providing three positions and associated funding to support the planning, preparation, and operation of the new, state-of-the-art Wisconsin History Center, scheduled to open in 2027; and
- Providing $340,000 GPR in fiscal year 2025-26 and $222,000 GPR in fiscal year 2026-27 to make security and safety improvements at historic sites across the state.
The state has also worked to secure major events to showcase Wisconsin on national and global stages, from hosting the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention in recent years to sporting events like bringing IndyCar back to the Milwaukee Mile and hosting the Ryder Cup in 2021, as well as supporting the filming of Season 21 of Bravo’s Top Chef in state and a Christmas movie filmed in Door County and released last year. Last year, the state also hosted the 2025 NFL Draft, which amassed around 600,000 ticketed attendees over the three days in Green Bay. According to the Packers and Discover Green Bay, the event far exceeded projections. Attendance shattered expectations, driving total economic impact in Brown County to nearly $73 million—more than $50 million over the original $20 million projection. Statewide, the total economic impact reached over $104 million, surpassing the initial $94 million estimate by over $10 million.
