Colorado Film Office Made Payments To Companies Ineligible For Incentives, Audit Shows

Gov. John Hickenlooper’s administration is facing criticism after an audit determined the state made cash payments to film production companies that didn’t qualify for Colorado’s taxpayer-funded incentives. The report presented Monday to state lawmakers looked at nine projects totaling $1.9 million — a small sample of the 31 productions that received $10.6 million in incentives since the establishment of the film office in 2012. None of the nine projects met all the requirements for proper documentation — including $1.3 million in incentives that were paid without first executing a contract, as required by law. Stephanie Copeland, the executive director at the Office for Economic Development and International Trade, which oversees the film incentives program, told lawmakers that stricter enforcement procedures began in April and new policies are expected to take effect this year.