My name is Felix Giuffrida, and I’m an assistant camera operator who has been working in the Boston area for going on seven years now. My grandparents immigrated here from Italy, my parents were born here, and I was born here. This is the one place I can truly call home. When I graduated college, I was worried that I would need to move to find work. The Massachusetts tax incentive has played a big part in allowing me to stay here and work in the industry that I love so much. I have met some of the most influential people in my life here, and I can’t imagine doing this job anywhere else.
Losing the tax incentive would be detrimental to the local industry. I am one of thousands of individuals that relies on work coming into the state to provide for myself. In turn, the projects also help fund local businesses and vendors, which help this great state that we all love grow.
That being said, the film industry in Massachusetts is itself still growing, and the incentive is a big part of that. It doesn’t make sense to me to take away something that benefits so many hardworking people. Massachusetts is my home, like it is for so many others, and I don’t want to have to leave.
My name is Rachel Wiederhoeft, and I work in the camera department on all types of projects from movies and commercials to reality, documentary, and short films.
