Spring may be just around the corner in Princeton, Massachusetts, but inside a beloved local restaurant, it still feels like Christmas. Twinkling holiday lights, garlands, and festive trees adorn the eatery, serving as the backdrop for A Very Vermont Christmas, the latest holiday rom-com by local filmmaker John Stimpson. Known as the “king of holiday movies,” Stimpson has crafted 10 Christmas films in the past decade for Hallmark and Lifetime, nearly all of them shot in Massachusetts.

This bustling film activity wasn’t always the norm in the Bay State. Back in 2005, local film professionals and the Massachusetts Film Office decided it was time to bring “show biz” back to the region. Leaders from the newly formed Massachusetts Production Coalition, alongside industry unions and businesses, began lobbying for competitive tax incentives to attract filmmakers. Their efforts paid off in 2006 when the state passed a law offering 25% tax credits on production and payroll expenses. This marked the beginning of Massachusetts’ transformation into Hollywood Northeast.

From Incentive to Industry Boom

The passage of the tax credit opened the floodgates for film production. Within a few short years, projects in the state grew from nearly nonexistent to an estimated $400 million in spending. And while Massachusetts isn’t quite on Georgia’s level—where film spending exceeded $4 billion in 2021—it has rapidly become a significant player in the U.S. film production landscape.

Georgia’s success, spurred by its 30% tax credit, demonstrates the potential of strategic incentives. In Massachusetts, similar benefits catalyzed the development of film infrastructure, including state-of-the-art sound stages like New England Studios in Devens, Red Sky Studios in Allston and Foxborough, and Boston Harbor Studios in Quincy and Canton. A new movie campus in Braintree is also on the way. This infrastructure growth has attracted supporting businesses such as equipment rentals, casting agencies, and visual effects companies, creating a more robust production ecosystem.