Executive Producer Barry Levinson was honored by the Maryland House of Delegates this week for his outstanding work in film and television. He is well known for movies such as “Tin Men” starring Richard Dreyfuss and “Rain Man” starring Dustin Hoffman. More recently, he is noted for his contributions to “Homicide: Life on the Streets”, a drama about Baltimore City. After receiving his recognition on the House floor, he spent a few minutes talking with Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio about Maryland’s film tax credit, an issue that Haddaway has been working on for several years.

Maryland’s film tax credit is lower than that of surrounding states and has resulted in Maryland being passed over for movies and films. Haddaway often gives the example of the movie “Annapolis”, which was slated to be filmed at the Naval Academy but moved to Philadelphia because of the tax credit issue. “The Eastern Shore is a great example of the revenue that tourism, film and the arts can bring to a jurisdiction,” she said. “Swimmers, Runaway Bride and the Wedding Crashers are just three recent examples of films on the Shore that resulted in a boost in restaurant receipts, retail sales and accommodations in the region. In these tough economic times, we should be investing in things that generate revenue for our State.” Haddaway added that it would be hard to get any tax credits passed this year given Maryland’s political climate, but that she will continue working on the issue.