When the Culver City Council voted to approve its annual budget last week, the temporary film incentive measures that were implemented in May formally became a permanent part of the city’s pitch to production companies.
Already, new projects from Netflix and Amazon-owned MGM+ are lensing in the Los Angeles-adjacent city that emerged around the legendary MGM lot and other studio facilities. That led Culver City to adopt the motto defining itself as “the heart of Screenland.” Today, the city is home to Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios and Apple’s entertainment operations, among other entertaiment industry firms.
“Culver City has long been a premier destination for film and television production, supporting good-paying jobs, local businesses and the creative economy that helps to define our community,” Mayor Freddy Puza said.
The almost $400 million that Culver City has budgeted in total for its fiscal 2026-27 budget for local needs and long term investments covers many things. But the city has continued to prioritize production and bringing business back to familiar locations.
The incentive package, which can save a production thousands of dollars on even a brief shoot, has grown in stages. Starting last December as a temporary waiver of some fees and permits, it grew in May to be an even more generous amount of fiscal forgiveness for production companies booking locations.
