Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is trying to revive filming in Los Angeles.
The update builds on Executive Directive 11, Reel Change: Supporting Local Film and Television Production, issued last year to support local film and television jobs by streamlining city processes and reducing barriers for studios, independent producers, and commercial shoots working in Los Angeles.
Here is a list of the operational improvements aimed at speeding approvals and lowering costs:
- The Los Angeles Central Library will reopen for major productions this year.
- The Port of Los Angeles has reduced review times for filming applications.
- City staff are preparing a proposal to restore lower filming fees at the Griffith Observatory.
- The Los Angeles Department of Transportation has extended staff hours to ensure timely posting of on-street signage and production-related changes.
- Certain downtown curb lane and local street closures have been pre-approved, allowing FilmLA to authorize them under established guidelines.
- The Los Angeles Police Department has identified locations and activities where officer assignments can be waived or reduced under the Mayor’s directive.
Mayor Karen Bass also referenced her working relationship with Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian in connection with policy efforts related to local film and television production. Nazarian’s Keep Hollywood Home initiative includes a set of motions introduced following meetings with studio executives, producers, and production workers. The motions focus on measures intended to address production activity and employment within the city.
Under the current agenda, the Mayor and Councilmember are pursuing changes to existing approval requirements and the development of a micro-shoot permit intended for smaller-scale productions. The City is also working with FilmLA, Film Liaison Steve Kang, and the Mayor’s Office on a tiered permitting fee structure for low-impact productions. A pilot program is projected to begin in March 2026.
Additional administrative coordination followed the appointment of Steve Kang, President of the Board of Public Works, as the Mayor’s Liaison to the Film and Television Industry. In this role, the liaison serves as a point of contact for productions working with city departments.
The update comes after the Mayor noted the return of productions to Los Angeles, including the reboot of Baywatch, following the expansion of the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program under Governor Gavin Newsom. Bass previously served as Speaker of the California State Assembly during the passage of the state’s original film and television tax credit program and has continued to reference the program in the context of current city-level permitting and production policies.
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