City partnership seeks to attract commercial filming

City of Menifee press release:

MENIFEE -- As part of the City of Menifee's continued effort to maintain a robust and diverse economy, Menifee has partnered with Inland Empire Film Services (IEFS) to offer a streamlined approach to attracting the film industry to the city.

Menifee's Film Office provides a one-stop location to obtain the resources necessary to film in the city, including but not limited to filming permits, location assistance, traffic control, neighborhood notifications, police, fire, security, and more.

Menifee's diverse landscape, unique communities, and variety of breathtaking backdrops offer many opportunities within the city to use for featured films, shows, and commercials. Industry professionals selecting Menifee for their filming locations will also have the benefit of being conveniently located off the burgeoning I-215, centered between Los Angeles and San Diego.

The partnership with IEFS allows Menifee to get in front of leading location managers within the industry. Since the 1990s, $1.4 billion in revenues have been added to the economy within the Inland Empire via the film industry and film crews have expressed a piqued interest in the area in recent years, citing the region's rapidly growing development, scenery, and unique landscapes as attractive for production.

"We are excited to work with the City of Menifee to attract filming. Film productions bring significant economic benefits to cities through facility and hotel rentals, purchasing for the location vendors, utilizing local eateries, renting local equipment, and hiring local crews," said Dan Taylor, Inland Empire Film Services President. "Our focus is to showcase Menifee to the film industry while creating lasting economic impacts locally and assisting them with a film-friendly reduced permit fee and simplified permit process."

Menifee is also actively working with IEFS in developing a film location catalogue consisting of private, public, and commercial locations throughout the city available for filming opportunities. The film catalogue will be available on the City’s Economic Development website at www.menifeebusiness.com/film and at www.cityofmenifee.us/film.

“The entertainment industry is a catalyst for economic development as it supports thousands of service and supply industries including advertising, print media, makeup, costumes, craft talent, and services, while benefiting local hotels, restaurants, caterers, apparel, tailor, and floral shops,” said Gina Gonzalez, Economic Development Director. “This powerful economic engine can bring in millions of dollars in spending related to tourism for a city like Menifee.”

For more information on filming in Menifee, visit www.cityofmenifee.us/film, contact Menifee's Film Office (Inland Empire Film Services) at 909-460-8100 x 101, or email menifee@iefilmpermits.com. For more information on Menifee’s Office of Economic Development, call 951-672-6777 or email econdev@cityofmenifee.us.