Film SF
Film SF (San Francisco Film Commission) is a City of San Francisco government agency that administers film permits, the Scene in San Francisco cash rebate incentive program (up to $1 million per project), location coordination, and industry outreach to attract film and television productions to San Francisco.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Film SF does
Film SF (San Francisco Film Commission) is a City and County of San Francisco government agency operating under the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The agency's mandate is to attract film, television, documentary, and commercial productions to San Francisco and to administer the permitting, financial incentive, and location coordination services required for those productions. It was established alongside the Scene in San Francisco incentive program in 2006 and is overseen by the San Francisco Arts Commission, with the Executive Director of Arts and Culture serving as department head.
The agency's core offerings include Film Permit Services for commercial and non-commercial shoots, the Scene in San Francisco Incentive Program (offering 10–20% cash rebates on qualifying local labor and expenditures plus 100% rebate of City agency fees, capped at $1 million per project), a Locations Library database of San Francisco filming sites, drone filming permits, parking reservations for production vehicles, and film notice distribution to residents and businesses. Resource databases include the Film and Media Landscape Database covering organizations across all nine Bay Area counties, Green Filming sustainability guidelines, and a workforce development internship program.
Film SF distributes services through its City Hall office (Room 473, 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl), the sf.gov portal, and outreach at industry events such as the annual Park City filmmakers' reception and local film festival screenings. As a municipal department, the agency does not generate commercial revenue; permit and administrative fees function as cost recovery, and the incentive program distributes publicly funded cash rebates. Leadership comprises Executive Director Manijeh Fata, Deputy Director Sofia Alicastro, Senior Production Coordinator/Commission Secretary Zoe Halsne, and Senior Film Coordinator Ismael Castillo, with a total staff of seven.
Film SF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Film SF
- Legal name
- Film SF | San Francisco Film Commission
- Website
- https://filmsf.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Film SF (San Francisco Film Commission) is a City of San Francisco government agency that administers film permits, the Scene in San Francisco cash rebate incentive program (up to $1 million per project), location coordination, and industry outreach to attract film and television productions to San Francisco.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Film SF industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Commission and Production Support Services
- NAICS
- Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tax Incentives & Rebate Monetization (MPADAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)
Keywords
Where Film SF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Film SF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Film Permit and Administrative Fees: Film SF administers permit fees for commercial and non-commercial filming in San Francisco. The agency also processes City agency fees, which can be rebated 100% back to qualifying productions through the Scene in San Francisco incentive program.
- Film Incentive Program Administration: The Scene in San Francisco incentive program provides cash rebates of 10-20% on qualifying San Francisco labor and expenditures, up to $1 million per project. This is a government-funded economic development program rather than revenue-generating activity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Scene in San Francisco Incentive - Up to 20% rebate on qualifying expenditures |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Film SF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Film SF is the official San Francisco Film Commission, a municipal agency that issues film permits, administers the Scene in San Francisco cash rebate incentive program (10–20% on qualifying local labor and spend, 100% on City agency fees, up to $1 million per project), and provides supporting services such as drone permits, parking reservations, film notice distribution, and access to a locations library for film and television productions filming in San Francisco.
Product overview
Film SF (San Francisco Film Commission) is a City agency that provides a portfolio of interconnected services to support filming in San Francisco. The core offerings include the Scene in San Francisco Incentive Program (providing cash rebates up to $1 million), Film Permit Services for commercial and non-commercial shoots, and the Locations Library for finding filming sites. Additional services include Drone Filming Permits, Parking Reservation for productions, and Film Notice Distribution to notify residents. The agency also maintains resource databases including the Film and Media Landscape Database covering Bay Area organizations, and provides Green Filming sustainability guidelines. Financial Incentives and the Film SF Internship Program round out the service ecosystem, collectively designed to attract diverse storytellers and support San Francisco's production community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Scene in San Francisco Incentive Program
- Film Permit Services
Companies that use Film SF
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Film SF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Film SF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- San Francisco Arts CommissioncoreThe San Francisco Arts Commission serves as the governing body overseeing the Film Commission. The Arts Commission appoints the Executive Director of Arts and Culture who serves as the department head, providing strategic oversight and policy direction for film initiatives in San Francisco.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Film SF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- California Film Commission: The state-level film commission for California, administering the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program. Offers direct overlap with Film SF's incentive-administration role, with state-level scope rather than municipal.
- New Mexico Film Office: State film commission that administers New Mexico's film production tax credit and offers location/permit support. A competing incentive jurisdiction that actively recruits productions away from California locations like SF.
- Chicago Film Office: Municipal film office that issues permits, coordinates locations, and supports productions filming in Chicago. Direct structural peer to Film SF with parallel city-level remit and service offering.
- NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment: City-level agency that supports film/TV production in New York City through permits, incentives (NYC Film Tax Credit), and industry development. Direct structural and functional analog to Film SF.
- FilmLA: The official film commission for the City and County of Los Angeles, providing permits, coordination, and incentives for productions. Same municipal film commission model as Film SF, just serving the much larger LA market.
- Film Toronto: The film commission for the City of Toronto, providing permits, locations, and incentives. A direct international functional peer to Film SF with similar municipal remit and service portfolio.
- Georgia Film Office: State agency that administers Georgia's 30% transferable film tax credit, the most aggressive incentive program in the U.S. Functions as a direct competitor to Film SF's incentive offering for productions choosing between jurisdictions.
Emerging players
- Film New Orleans: City film commission providing permits, locations, and incentive coordination for productions in New Orleans. Competes with SF for productions seeking distinctive U.S. urban locations, similar in size and mandate to Film SF.
- Vancouver Film Commission: City-level film commission supporting production in Vancouver, a major North American filming hub. Offers similar municipal services to Film SF and competes with SF for productions seeking Pacific Coast filming locations.
Regional players
- British Film Commission: National-level film commission supporting productions across the UK, leveraging the UK's film tax relief program. A competing international location with a dominant incentive offering versus Film SF's capped program.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Film SF social profiles
Digital presenceFilm SF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Film SF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Film SF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Film SF M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Film SF
What does Film SF do?
Film SF is the official San Francisco Film Commission, a municipal agency that issues film permits, administers the Scene in San Francisco cash rebate incentive program (10–20% on qualifying local labor and spend, 100% on City agency fees, up to $1 million per project), and provides supporting services such as drone permits, parking reservations, film notice distribution, and access to a locations library for film and television productions filming in San Francisco.
Is Film SF a public or private company?
Film SF is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Film SF founded?
Film SF was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Film SF based?
Film SF is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Film SF make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Film Permit and Administrative Fees are the primary driver. The others are film Incentive Program Administration.
Who are Film SF's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are California Film Commission, New Mexico Film Office, Chicago Film Office, NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment, FilmLA, Film Toronto and Georgia Film Office. Emerging players are Film New Orleans and Vancouver Film Commission. British Film Commission is listed as a regional player.
Does Film SF have an API?
No public API is recorded for Film SF.
What industry is Film SF in?
Film SF's product category is Film Commission and Production Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAAAD, Tax Incentives & Rebate Monetization, with a secondary code of MPADAAAO, Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing. Its NAICS code is 92615 and its SIC code is 7829.