The Mid-Ohio Valley Film Commission held its first official Board of Directors meeting last week, a milestone in its mission to support film and media production in southeastern Ohio.

Composed of creatives, educators, business owners and local officials, the board has spent months preparing to launch the commission, which advocates for bringing film projects to the region. In a release, the board said the effort is not just about art, but also jobs, tourism and economic development.

“This has been months in the making,” said co-founder and Director of Strategy and Community Engagement Erin O’Neill. “We believe southeastern Ohio is ready to support real film and media production.”

The commission will make its public debut at Harmar Days the weekend of July 26, where it will host an information table to engage with residents, explain the benefits of the film industry, and invite community involvement.

The initiative has already gained support from the Washington County Commission, Southeast Ohio Port Authority, Marietta Community Foundation, Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Marietta College and the City of Marietta.

“That kind of early buy-in is so encouraging – it shows that our community sees this as more than just a creative endeavor,” said O’Neill, who is also a member of Marietta City Council. “It’s about tourism, small business support, workforce development and telling our region’s story on a bigger stage.”

The commission’s launch comes amid a statewide surge in interest in film production, following the filming of the new “Superman” movie in Cleveland and Cincinnati. That production generated tens of millions of dollars in economic impact and created thousands of jobs – something the commission said they hope to replicate in rural parts of Ohio.

Supporters also applauded Gov. Mike DeWine’s recent veto of a proposed sunset clause that would have ended the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit. The move preserved both the film incentive and the historic preservation tax credit, which are especially important for communities like Marietta with significant historical assets, said the release from the commission.

The current film credit includes a $50 million cap and allows rolling applications, making it more accessible and attractive to productions, said the release. There is also ongoing discussion in Columbus about raising that cap, which the commission supports.

“This isn’t just about bringing Hollywood to Ohio – it’s about empowering the local creatives and entrepreneurs who are already here,” O’Neill said. “We have the locations, the talent, the history, and now, we’re building the infrastructure.”

Will Wedig, a Marietta native who has spent nearly 25 years in New York working in film and television, spoke recently about his hopes to bring productions back to the Mid-Ohio Valley with the help of the newly formed commission. Though unable to disclose specifics about current projects or casting due to confidentiality, Wedig emphasized that he is actively pursuing funding that could potentially bring a feature film to the region.

The filmmaker is also involved with the local Film Commission in an advisory capacity and said he wants to help position Marietta as a film-friendly destination and act as a connector for other productions that might consider the area. He also hopes it will bring the film industry to the region and create jobs.

“You get one movie up, then two, then three,” Wedig said. “Suddenly, people in town have four film credits. You build an industry. That’s real economic development.”

Ohio’s film tax credit is another key piece of the puzzle. While Ohio’s fund isn’t as large as California’s or New York’s, according to Wedig, he believes the way the incentive is structured makes it attractive to filmmakers.

Still, it all comes down to financing.

“I can have the biggest dream in the world,” he said. “But what gets a movie made is when the money comes together. That’s why I’m hoping people from Marietta who care about the community might step up and say, ‘We believe in this, and we want to invest in our town’.”