Sen. Adam Schiff hosts film industry hearing in Burbank

BURBANK, Calif. (KYMA, NBC) - Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) hosted "Lights, Camera, Competition: Promoting American Film Production" hearing Friday.

According to a press release obtained by KYMA, the hearing was to highlight "the importance of bolstering American film production" as well as tackle the challenges the industry faces.

These include "generous tax incentives provided by other countries" with Sen. Schiff saying he's working to advance bipartisan legislation to establish a federal film incentive.

"State programs simply cannot substitute for the kind of globally competitive federal tax incentive that is needed to bring production back to American soil and stop its offshoring. I am committed to introducing a federal film incentive proposal in Congress, with as broad a coalition of support as possible, and today’s hearing is part of growing that support; building the record and the case for why we must act. And the urgency could not be greater.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)

The senator also highlighted the potential impact of the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery.

"Two of Hollywood's biggest studios are now seeking to merge, and the decisions made in that boardroom will land squarely on industry workers…It would be an unprecedented consolidation of media and programming," Schiff expressed.

According to Schiff, both he and Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) wrote a letter to Paramount and Netflix last month to press for "concrete commitments to California's workers."

"Paramount CEO David Ellison has since responded with a number of pledges, but many of them lack specificity, and we intend to examine them carefully today," Schiff shared.

Noah Wyle, star of "ER," "The Librarian" franchise and HBO Max's "The Pitt," and Matthew Loeb, President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) International, served as witnesses.

They were joined by Jax Deluca, Executive Director of the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and journalist Jim Acosta.

To watch the livestream of the hearing, see attached video.