Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have seen an increasing amount of big-budget movies filmed within and near its city limits in recent years. Harrisburg might not be far behind.
Another Harvest Moon, which tells the story of four elderly Americans coping with life in a nursing home and stars Cybil Shepherd, Ernest Borgnine and Doris Robert, recently wrapped production after being shot on location at the former Harrisburg State Hospital by Aurora Films and Music of Lancaster. Shooting also took place in nearby York Haven and post-production work was performed in Lancaster. The production required 144 days of work in Central Pa., which translated to 478 hotel room nights for cast and crew. The movie injected more than $436,000 into the local economy in return for a film tax credit for approximately one-fourth that amount.
“This is new revenue Harrisburg and Pennsylvania would not have received had we not offered production companies the opportunity to write off some of their expenses,” says Mickey Rowley of the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
Since it began in 2007, the state’s incentive for production companies to work in the commonwealth has helped create more than 3,000 jobs and generated $186 million in direct spending and more than $12 million in new state tax revenue. Another Harvest Moon received a film tax credit of $108,964 for spending at least 60 percent of its total budget in the state.
“Besides the new business for hotels, the work on this movie generated income opportunities for caterers, supply companies, restaurants, dry cleaners and car rental firms,” says Rowley.
Another Harvest Moon opens in June. Producer/director Robert Black says he’s hoping to shoot another project in Pennsylvania soon.
Source: Mickey Rowley, Pennsylvania DCED
Writer: Joe Petrucci
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