‘Stay in LA’ Campaign to Hold First In-Person Rally Next Month

“Stay in LA,” the grassroots Hollywood campaign that seeks to revive film and TV production in Los Angeles, is preparing to hold its first public rally next month.

The rally will be held in Sun Valley at SirReel Studios, and entertainment workers of all backgrounds and roles are invited to attend. The event’s RSVP page is promising a fun event for workers and their families with pizza and drinks as well as games for kids.

But beneath the lighthearted atmosphere is a sense of urgency. In an interview with TheWrap, “Stay in LA” co-founders Sarah Adina Smith and Alexandra Pechman said they felt compelled to act after the January wildfires that destroyed the homes of thousands of city residents, including many who work in entertainment.

With California’s status as the entertainment industry’s capital eroding amidst strong financial incentive packages from other states and countries, “Stay in LA” is calling on local and state legislators to make every effort possible to bring productions back to help local workers whose finances have been destroyed by the COVID pandemic, the 2023 industry strikes and now the fires.

“We’ve been really worried about cast and crew not being able to afford to live here anymore, and then when these devastating fires began, we were all talking about what would be something we could do that would meaningfully help L.A. rebuild, and this immediately became top of mind,” Smith said. “It’s become an existential issue.”

As Sacramento lawmakers are expected in the coming months to debate an expansion to the California Film and TV Tax Credit, “Stay in LA” wants them to go further than the $420 million increase to the program’s cap proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last fall. The organization recommends that the program go uncapped as an emergency measure to bring productions back for the next three years.

Guest speakers are expected to attend the rally, with a full lineup to come next week. Those interested are asked to RSVP here.

The post ‘Stay in LA’ Campaign to Hold First In-Person Rally Next Month appeared first on TheWrap.