FilmLA President Paul Audley will retire on the finish of 2025, ending a 17-year tenure as the pinnacle of the Los Angeles movie workplace.
Audley can be succeeded by FilmLA’s CFO/COO Denise Gutches, who will take the position of CEO efficient January 1, 2026. FilmLA tells TheWrap that the management transition has been a year-long course of as Audley first got here to the group’s board with a proposal at hand the reins over to Gutches again in January.
The altering of the guard comes at a crucial time for Los Angeles’ native movie trade, as FilmLA is within the midst of addressing calls by producers, leisure unions and native officers to cut back the prices of on-location taking pictures.
“I’m honored to steer FilmLA into its subsequent part,” mentioned Gutches. “With the revitalization of the Movie and Tv Tax Credit score and quite a few transformative initiatives underway throughout Los Angeles, FilmLA is uniquely positioned to help the artistic and financial vitality of the area’s movie and tv trade. I sit up for working with our companions to construct a resilient and modern future.”
“FilmLA has persistently demonstrated its means to adapt and thrive in a altering setting. I’m assured that Denise and the management staff will proceed to advance FilmLA’s mission with the identical dedication and excellence that has outlined our work.”
Together with Gutches’ promotion, VP of Operations Donna Washington will develop her give attention to regional movie coverage alignment and enhanced shopper service as VP of Exterior Affairs. Philip Sokoloski will proceed in his position as VP, Built-in Communications overseeing media relations, advertising and marketing, and trade analysis.
Among the many key duties for Gutches and her staff can be to satisfy a dedication made to native officers to alter the phrases of its contract with the town after the LA Board of Public Works authorized a five-year renewal of that contract this previous June.
LA Metropolis Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, whose district consists of North Hollywood and Studio Metropolis, mentioned in a press release on the time that renewal of the contract was vital to make sure that allowing for any on-location taking pictures may proceed. Lately, hundreds of movie and tv productions have moved to different states and international locations looking for extra favorable tax credit and decrease allowing and inspection prices.
Grassroots group Keep in LA has known as on a number of adjustments to the FilmLA contract, together with including incentives for public property shoots by waived or decreased charges, streamlining the allowing course of, and lowering the variety of required public security officers at shoots, notably shoots that don’t require street closures or pyrotechnic particular results.
Whereas FilmLA has not spoken about these proposed adjustments particularly, it has met with the Board of Public Works with its personal record of proposals to make the allowing course of extra environment friendly and less expensive and to debate its contract. Specific focus within the speedy time period has been on “low-impact permits” supposed for small, impartial productions for which allowing prices generally is a make-or-break subject when selecting the place to shoot.
