Film in Maine Reimbursement Grant Pilot Program

Film in Maine Reimbursement Grant Pilot Program is sponsored by Maine Film Office (funded through the Maine Office of Tourism, Outdoor Recreation & Film). This pilot program aims to stimulate filmmaking in Maine, supporting economic development and job creation in film and television production. It offers reimbursement grants for qualifying labor and non-payroll production expenditures incurred in Maine for a single project.

Reimbursement Grant Pilot Program | Maine Film Reimbursement Grant Pilot Program The Maine Film Office Film in Maine Reimbursement Grant Pilot is funded through the Maine Office of Tourism, Outdoor Recreation & Film. This pilot program is intended to stimulate filmmaking in the state and demonstrate the economic benefit of filming in Maine.

The grants distributed through this program will support economic development and job creation in the areas of film and television production and generate revenue in accommodations, meals, retail sales, transportation, equipment rental and other visual media production related activities by visual media production companies who select Maine as the location for their production.

The pilot program requires the visual media production company to incur a minimum of $1,000,000 of qualifying labor and non-payroll production expenditures in Maine for a single project and meet the Maine Film Office eligibility requirements. The total program budget is anticipated to be $700,000 but is contingent upon available funds. Limit one (1) reimbursement grant annually per visual media production company.

The Maine Film Office anticipates awarding two reimbursement grants with a project cap of up to $350,000 each. At least one grant will be awarded to an eligible project with a storyline that is set in Maine. Learn more on eligible applicants, projects and application requirements below.

Applicants must have an account with the Maine Film Office. Instructions for setting up your free account may be found here . Complete online registration form .

Include a copy of the screenplay. Upon submission of the form, the Maine Film Office will review the application to see that it meets eligibility requirements. Eligible projects will receive a Production Certificate via email from the Maine Film Office.

If the project does not meet the eligibility requirements for the pilot program, the Maine Film Office will inform the production company no later than 30 days after the application closing date. The Maine Film Office will accept applications through June 15, 2026. Applications not submitted online by midnight on June 15, 2026, will not be considered for the pilot program.

This is not a first-come, first-served program.

Productions will be reviewed and assigned a score based on the estimated economic benefit to the State of Maine utilizing the following criteria: Primary Evaluation Criteria Total estimated Maine-resident production wages; Total estimated non-payroll production expenses to be paid to Maine vendors; Total estimated days/partial days of principal photography in Maine; Total estimated days/partial days of principal photography in select Maine counties (Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Washington, Hancock County (excluding Mt.

Desert Island). Secondary Evaluation Criteria Production company is based in Maine; Post-Production will be done in Maine; Percentage of financing secured upon submission of the application; Portrayal of Maine in the screenplay; Quality of the screenplay; Other criteria at the discretion of the Maine Film Office. Productions will be informed of the outcome of the review process within 30 days of the application’s closing date.

Successful applicants must begin principal photography within 12 months following the Maine Film Office’s decision date. Director, Maine Film Office "We have been fortunate to have made two movies in Maine — The Way We Get By and Beneath The Harvest Sky. ” Maine is a very special state in that there are so many options for locations.

Given its size, you can travel to northern Maine, southern Maine, all along the coast, and tell a number of different stories in totally unique worlds with each film having very distinctive looks. The abundance of locations combined with the incredible generosity of the people and communities, make filmmaking in Maine a pure joy.

We would not be filmmakers today without the support from the people of Maine and we will be forever grateful." - Gita Pullapilly and Aron Gaudet, The Way We Get By and Beneath the Harvest Sky "Filming in Maine was a dream, simply because of the people. We came to Maine and found enthusiasm and friendliness.

People wanted to help out any way they could and were excited to be a part of something. That sort of thing doesn’t happen in Los Angeles or New York or even Georgia. It’s really beautiful for people to come together to support a large artistic project like this."

- James Khanlarian, Director, The Ghost Trap Reimbursement Grant Pilot Program