Changes Coming To Film Commission
Sonora, CA — Some big changes are coming to the Tuolumne County Film Commission, as the Executive Director has announced plans to resign.
Jerry Day will be stepping down in early August and relocating to the Bay Area, according to Nanci Sikes, Executive Director of the Tuolumne Visitors Bureau. Sikes notes that there are no immediate plans to hire a new Film Commissioner, and the duties will be overseen by both her and Lisa Mayo with the Visitors Bureau Marketing Department. Day will continue to represent the Film Commission on a limited capacity through the end of the year. He has served as the head of the Film Commission for nearly a decade.
“Jerry Day is a phenomenal Film Commissioner and he will be greatly missed,” adds Sikes. “He was the perfect fit for this organization with his education, experience and background.”
Sikes says filming in Tuolumne County has recently been highlighted by car commercials and smaller budget shoots utilizing locations such as Tuolumne General Hospital. Sikes says the State of California is no longer offering lucrative incentives for filming in the state, and most big budget films are only being shot in the Los Angeles region or nearby states offering film incentives. If the need picks up, Sikes says the Visitor’s Bureau will consider bringing in a new Film Commissioner, but likely only on a part-time basis.
Tuolumne County was once a hot-bed for Western genre films, and in recent decades served as a location for productions like Back To the Future III.
Day’s resignation came as the County of Tuolumne was finalizing budget details for the next fiscal year, and as a result, the county decided to no longer provide its $45,000 subsidy to the Visitors Bureau to help fund the Film Commission. Sikes says the Visitors Bureau will put up funding in house to continue the marketing and staff needs required to keep the commission operational in a newly restructured form.
“It’s been wonderful serving my hometown for 10 years, and hopefully its made a positive impact,” adds Day. As for his future plans and relocation, he notes that he intends to continue working in a media related field.
