Los Angeles Mayor Appoints Film Industry Liaison

Over two and a half years into her mayoral term, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has honored her commitment to support the film industry.

During a private Zoom meeting with her Entertainment Industry Council, Bass announced the appointment of Steve Kang as the new liaison between the city’s administration and the film sector. This decision was shared by three participants who attended the meeting on Wednesday.

Supporting Kang in this role will be Dan Halden, who serves as the acting director of external relations for Streetsla, alongside producer Amy Goldberg.

The position of the film liaison was initially created during Eric Garcetti’s mayoral term.

This liaison has historically acted as a crucial connection for film and television productions looking to shoot in Los Angeles, assisting filmmakers in maneuvering through the city’s complex bureaucracy.

“Steve Kang is fully confident in his ability to serve as a City Film Liaison, working to find solutions that protect our vital industry while allowing for the growth of local filming for movies, television shows, and commercials,” Bass stated. “With California’s expanding film and television tax credits and our ongoing projects to streamline processes, we’re committed to maintaining production jobs here and supporting the small businesses that depend on this industry.”

Supporters within the industry have expressed frustration over the delayed appointment of a film liaison, especially as concerns about Los Angeles maintaining its status as the film capital arise.

The film industry has been struggling, with many jobs being lost to states and countries offering attractive tax incentives, affordable labor, and favorable bureaucratic environments.

While many of these issues lie beyond the mayor’s control, some industry advocates feel that appointing a liaison would be a straightforward step to ease the filming process in Los Angeles.

Since Bass took office in December 2022, these advocates have been pressing the mayor’s office for clarity, but the reasons for the delay remained unclear.

An industry advocate present at regular meetings with the mayor’s office noted that Garcetti had multiple film liaisons throughout his administration. One prominent figure was Kevin James, who held the position from 2015 and maintained strong connections within both the city and the industry. He served as film liaison while leading the Public Works Commission, which oversees various city departments.

Bass’s administration has had to tackle several challenges over the past year, including a catastrophic fire and increased military presence, but the dissatisfaction with the delay in appointing a liaison was growing even before these events unfolded.

In May, after signing an executive order to promote local film and television production, Bass had indicated she would fill the position within days.

Now, over three months later, she has finally made the appointment.