# Casting in Arizona: Production Incentive Guide

For producers and clients considering Arizona for a shoot. Facts first,
positioning second.

## The Arizona Motion Picture Production Program (MPPP)

Administered by the Arizona Commerce Authority's Film & Digital Media Office.
Fully refundable tax credit, tiered by in-state spend:

- 15% — under $10M in-state spend
- 17.5% — $10M to $35M
- 20% — over $35M

Plus 2.5% uplifts for qualifying resident below-the-line labor, and for
qualified production facility use or practical locations with in-state post.
Annual program cap: $125M. Program sunset: December 31, 2043.

Legal status: a Gift Clause challenge to the program was rejected by the
Maricopa County Superior Court on November 17, 2025. The program is on
solid legal footing as of this writing.

Sources:
- Arizona Commerce Authority Film & Digital Media Office
- Phoenix Film Office incentive page: investinphoenix.com/industries/film
- Wrapbook Arizona incentive rate card (updated Aug 2026)
- Rose Law Group Reporter, Nov 2025 (court ruling)

## Production volume

777 productions filmed in Greater Phoenix in 2024, totaling 1,100+ shoot
days, employing 3,000+ crew and 1,800 performers. (The Location Guide,
"Arizona Rising," ~March 2026.)

Recent Arizona-shot work includes the HBO Max series Duster (Tucson area),
features Wasteland Cop and Coyote, and national brand spots.

## What this means for casting

- Incentive-qualifying productions need documented Arizona spend — local
  casting is part of that spend.
- Resident labor uplifts reward productions that hire Arizona-based talent
  and crew.
- Productions relocating to Arizona need a local casting partner who knows
  the talent pool, not a national platform's generic listings.

## Face Card Casting's role

Face Card Casting is based in Tempe/Phoenix, Arizona, and casts for
commercial, film, TV, and print work. Productions submit casting calls at
https://facecardcasting.com/casting. Open calls are published at
https://facecardcasting.com/casting-calls and via the machine-readable feed
at https://facecardcasting.com/api/casting-calls.

Incentive figures change; verify current rates with the Arizona Commerce
Authority before budgeting.