Culver City is making its latest pitch to Hollywood permanent.

The Culver City Council has approved the city’s annual budget, formally locking in a package of film and television production incentive measures that had been introduced on a temporary basis earlier this year. The move comes as Netflix and Amazon-owned MGM+ projects are already filming in the Los Angeles-adjacent city, offering an early sign that the incentives may be doing what local officials hoped they would do: bring more production back to one of the industry’s most historically important hubs.

Long branded as “the heart of Screenland,” Culver City grew up around the legendary MGM lot and remains one of Southern California’s most recognizable entertainment centers. Today, the city is home to Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios and Apple’s entertainment operations, along with a range of production, media and technology companies.

“Culver City has long been a premier destination for film and television production, supporting good-paying jobs, local businesses and the creative economy that helps to define our community,” Mayor Freddy Puza said.

The production measures are now part of the city’s nearly $400 million fiscal 2026-27 budget, which covers a broad range of local needs and long-term investments. But for Culver City, the incentives also serve a more targeted purpose: keeping the city competitive at a time when production activity across Los Angeles has faced intense pressure from runaway production, rising costs and aggressive incentive programs in other states and countries.

The incentive package began last December as a temporary waiver of certain fees and permits. In May, the city expanded the program, offering a more generous set of cost-saving measures for production companies booking local shoots.

The permanent package includes free production parking, a suspension of business tax collection, the development of a film location tour in partnership with FilmLA and the creation of a film-specific business directory.

For productions, those savings can add up quickly, even on short shoots. For local officials, the goal is to make Culver City easier and more affordable to use as a location while also driving business to local vendors, restaurants, hotels and service providers.

There are already signs of renewed activity.

On June 9, a Netflix television production was setting up at American Legion Post 46 on Sepulveda Boulevard, a midcentury building that previously doubled as a nightclub in Clint Eastwood’s 2014 Warner Bros. film Jersey Boys. The return of production trucks, orange cones and location activity drew notice from passersby, including one pedestrian who reportedly applauded the scene.

Also filming in Culver City is MGM+ Studios’ television project Start of Watch Block 4, along with an industrial production titled Drones.

For Puza, that activity is precisely the point of the program.

“Continuing our film incentive program ensures we remain competitive, retain these economic benefits, and strengthen our legacy as a place where creativity and innovation thrive,” he said.

For Culver City, the message to producers is clear: Screenland is open for business, and now the incentives are here to stay.