Cleveland gives rent-free lease to NY-based film company for studio in Convention Center

Cleveland announced a deal Tuesday to bring a movie studio to the city's underutilized convention center, but film production hinges on whether state lawmakers enact film industry tax credits.

New York City-based independent film and television production company Nehst Studios plans to take control of a portion of the Cleveland Convention Center rent-free for one year with an option to renew. Its goal is to create a production studio that would hire workers to staff crews for its various film projects.

Larry Meistrich, chairman and founder of Nehst Studios, said he wants to take advantage of Cleveland's central location and low cost.

But the deal would be undermined if Ohio doesn't enact tax credits for filmmakers. During his recent State of the State address, Gov. Ted Strickland proposed creating a new credit to attract the industry, and the Ohio House and Senate have approved competing plans to offer tax credits.

"We're hoping it passes, so we are ready to go," Meistrich said. "We will be working in good faith to be ready to go when and if the tax bill passes. We need to have the tax credit passed. We would not be coming without it."

With the tax credits, Meistrich said the Cleveland studio could produce eight to 15 films during the next two years. He said the company's goal is to keep two to four complete film crews working, with each film crew employing at least 100 people. The studio plans to make documentaries, television and feature films and productions targeted for the Internet.

Meistrich said the studio would occupy about 17,000 square feet in the aging convention center but could get more if needed.

The city is considering expanding the convention center, which is often sits unused, in a modernization plan that includes a new, nearby building dedicated to medical products and trade shows. A sales tax increase begun last year would finance the plan.

Meistrich has produced more than 100 films, commercials and music videos including the Academy Award-winning "Sling Blade," the Academy Award-nominated "You Can Count on Me" and "Henry Fool," winner of the Best Screenplay award at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.

The studio will be a first for the city and could create hundreds of jobs, said Ivan Schwarz, executive director of The Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

It will make the area a bigger draw for moviemakers, he said, because they won't be forced to bring in an entire production crew for just one movie.

"The whole point of this is to build infrastructure quickly and create jobs quickly," Schwarz said.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said the Nehst deal is a chance to introduce a new industry to Cleveland, which, along with other industrial Midwest cities has experienced a decline in manufacturing jobs.

"We are excited about what this investment means for Cleveland and the region," he said.

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On the Net

http://www.nehst.com