North Carolina Film Incentive Grant Program Charlotte: The $31 Million Rebate Driving $185 Million in Annual Production
North Carolina’s approach to film incentives is distinctive among major production states: rather than offering tax credits that must be monetized through transfer markets or refund mechanisms, the state provides a direct cash rebate through the Film and Entertainment Grant program. This structural difference productions receive actual money back after a successful spending audit, not paper credits requiring financial engineering makes North Carolina’s incentive particularly attractive to independent producers and mid-budget productions that lack the financial infrastructure to navigate complex credit markets. The North Carolina film incentive grant program Charlotte region has been a primary beneficiary of this approach, with productions like “The Hunting Wives” Season 2 filming in and around Lake Norman and the Greater Charlotte metro area with grant awards of up to $15 million. For anyone working in the market from studio operators to freelancers providing Charlotte videographer services the grant program is the financial engine that drives production volume.
The Grant Structure: Simple, Direct, Proven
The North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant offers producers rebates of up to 25 percent on qualified expenses and purchases made during production in the state. The program is funded at $31 million per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30), with unused funds carrying over from year to year. This recurring funding combined with the recent elimination of the program’s sunset date demonstrates what NC Film Office Director Guy Gaster describes as North Carolina’s long-term commitment to the film and entertainment industry.
Per-project caps provide structure: $15 million per season for television and streaming series, $7 million for feature-length films (including made-for-TV and streaming movies), and $250,000 for commercials. Minimum spending thresholds ensure the program supports projects with meaningful economic impact: $500,000 per episode average for TV and streaming series, $1.5 million for feature-length films, $500,000 for made-for-TV and streaming movies, and $250,000 for commercials.
The 2025 Numbers: $185.5 Million and 7,000 Jobs
Film and television productions spent $185.5 million in direct, in-state expenditures in North Carolina during 2025 the fourth-highest annual total since the current version of the grant program took effect in 2015. Thirty-eight productions filmed across the state, with activity in 45 of the state’s 100 counties. The productions created more than 7,000 crew, talent, and background extra job opportunities. Eleven projects pre-approved for state film grant rebates accounted for more than $179 million of the total spending.
These figures demonstrate the program’s multiplier effect: $31 million in annual grant funding generates $185.5 million in direct production spending a return of roughly six dollars for every dollar the state invests. The geographic distribution across 45 counties underscores the program’s statewide impact, with production activity flowing from the coast (Wilmington’s established studio infrastructure) through the Piedmont (Charlotte and the Research Triangle) to the western mountains (Asheville and the Blue Ridge region).
How the Rebate Works
The grant program’s operational mechanics reflect North Carolina’s practical approach. Production companies receive no money up front. They must meet direct in-state spending requirements, complete their production, and submit to a successful audit of their expenditures. Grant funds are then paid as a rebate following audit completion. This post-production payment structure eliminates the risk of subsidizing projects that fail to deliver economic impact the state only pays for verified, completed spending.
Applications are reviewed at least once monthly, and priority is given to productions anticipated to maximize benefit to North Carolina based on factors specified in the program statute. This discretionary element allows the NC Film Office and Department of Commerce to allocate limited grant dollars strategically, favoring projects with the greatest job creation and spending potential. End credits must include the phrase “Filmed in North Carolina,” a logo from the NC Film Office, and acknowledgment of the regional film office for the geographic area where filming occurred requirements that ensure the state receives promotional value from every subsidized production.
Charlotte’s Position in the Grant Ecosystem
The Charlotte region has been a significant beneficiary of the grant program, with productions choosing the Queen City for its combination of incentive value, location diversity, and crew availability. “The Hunting Wives” Season 2, approved for a grant of up to $15 million, is currently filming in and around Lake Norman and the Greater Charlotte metro area. The production represents exactly the kind of high-value, job-intensive project that the grant program is designed to attract a streaming series that creates sustained employment over multiple months and generates spending across the local economy.
North Carolina’s incentive structure also benefits from proximity to South Carolina’s complementary program, which offers wage rebates of up to 25 percent for residents and 20 percent for non-residents, supplier rebates of up to 30 percent, and sales tax exemptions. Productions filming in the Charlotte region can evaluate both states’ programs, with Charlotte’s location near the state border providing access to both incentive structures depending on which offers better value for a given project’s spending profile.
