ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the formation of a new Film Industry and Location Marketing (FILM) Task Force. Executive Order 2026-04 signed today establishes a 13-member committee charged with developing a coordinated strategy to position Howard County as a leading film-ready jurisdiction in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. Photos from today’s event can be found on Howard County Government’s Flickr website and video on the County Executive’s Facebook page.
Home to a robust and thriving arts and cultural community, historic towns, scenic landscapes, and distinctive neighborhoods, Howard County is no stranger to film and television industry. Over the years, many film projects have featured Howard County in their productions, supporting our local economy. Through this Task Force, we aim to grow our efforts to access this untapped sector of our arts economy by positioning Howard County as a film-ready, competitive destination for film, television, and media production. Through this work, we will further expand economic opportunity, support our local workers and creatives, drive tourism and local spending, and showcase the unique assets that make our county so special and great.
To position Howard County as a leading film-ready jurisdiction, the FILM Task Force will evaluate current capabilities, propose operational improvements, and design a comprehensive framework of recommendations for incentives, logistics, permitting, workforce, and location marketing. The Task Force will focus its work across four major domains, each essential to establishing Howard County as a fully recognized Film-Ready Community:
1. Incentives & Economic Development Tools
- Make recommendations on local incentive models that successfully attract productions.
- Evaluate potential County-specific incentives and fee adjustments to promote the film industry.
- Identify opportunities to align film-industry growth with tourism, small business development, hospitality, and growth of supporting industries.
2. Location Assets & Industry Readiness
- Make recommendations to assist in the development of a comprehensive inventory of potential filming locations including historic districts, parks, rural landscapes, County-owned facilities, commercial spaces, and adaptive reuse sites.
- Make recommendations on logistical feasibility (access, parking, staging areas, electrical capacity, security considerations).
- Make recommendations on opportunities for County assets, including underused or flexible spaces, to support production needs.
- Make recommendations on ways to access local availability of film-related trades and technical talent.
- Explore and recommend ways to support local small businesses in set construction, catering, transportation, lodging, media services, and related fields.
3. Interagency Coordination and Process Streamlining
- Review existing workflows for permitting, road closures, insurance requirements, location agreements, and departmental approvals.
- Make recommendations as to necessary updates to County policies, codes, or administrative procedures to reduce friction and improve turnaround times.
- Evaluate and make recommendations as to a unified process or “single point of contact” model for production companies.
- Review long-term coordination functions, such as the creation of a permanent local film council to support the film, television and media industry.
4. Marketing and Branding Strategies
- Make recommendations and provide feedback on a branding and messaging strategy to promote Howard County as a film-ready community.
- Coordinate with Visit Howard County to highlight accommodations, attractions, and local businesses.
- Recommend partnership strategies with the Maryland Film Office, production companies, streaming platforms, and independent filmmakers.
- Evaluate the creation of a digital film website or portal with site inventories, contact information, permitting guidance, and FAQs.
Comprised of industry and local leaders, as well as creatives, Task Force members include:
- Amanda Hof, Co-Chair and Executive Director, Visit Howard County
- Robert Neal Marshall, Co-Chair and Actor, Director, Producer, and Playwright
- Jennifer Jones, CEO, Howard County Economic Development Authority
- Theresa Colvin, Board of Directors, Community Liaison, Howard County Arts Council
- Director or designee, Maryland Film Office
- Mary Kane, President & CEO, Maryland Chamber of Commerce
- Dewan Clayborn, President and CEO, Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce
- Kristi Simon, President and CEO, Howard County Chamber of Commerce
- Chester Stacy, Production Design Professional
- Julie Miller, Director of Communications, Columbia Association
- Demitian Gilbert, Managing Partner, The Collective
- Nicholas Mooneyhan, Director, Department of Recreation & Parks
- Bob Frances, Director, Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits
“The work of this Task Force is a natural fit for Visit Howard County. Our role is to showcase what makes Howard County special — our arts, history, parks, small businesses, and hospitality community”, said Amanda Hof, Task Force Co-Chair and Executive Director, Visit Howard County. “Film and television production is a powerful way to tell that story and bring meaningful economic impact to our local businesses and residents.”
As an Emmy Award–winning Casting Associate with Pat Moran on major productions filmed right here in Howard County—including Game Change and Veep for HBO—and through my own work as an independent casting director, producer, actor, and Executive Producer of the Columbia Maryland Film Festival, I’ve seen firsthand the creative energy and vital economic impact that film brings to our community. Howard County has extraordinary potential for filmmakers of every scale, and I’m honored to bring my experience and passion for film to this important effort. I’m deeply grateful to County Executive Calvin Ball for the opportunity to serve, to his outstanding team, to Co-Chair Amanda Hof, and to our distinguished partners on this task force as we work together to build a vibrant future for film production in Howard County.
Now through the summer, the Task Force will meet monthly to review, discuss, and advance the key deliverables identified in the Executive Order. At its conclusion, the Task Force will produce a Film-Ready Community Action Plan for Howard County, which will be a comprehensive strategic plan detailing short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations for building a sustainable local film economy.
“I’m honored to serve on this Task Force and excited to help shape a film ready strategy for Howard County," said Jennifer Jones, CEO, Howard County Economic Development Authority. "Together, we’re positioning the county at the intersection of creativity and economic vitality, elevating our story nationally and building a lasting platform for culture and innovation.”
“As Howard County is home to a wealth of talent, this is a tremendous opportunity for Howard County to position itself as a premiere location for film & TV productions. And in doing so, assist local filmmakers, artisans, craftspersons and other creatives to thrive here in Howard County,” said Theresa Colvin, Task Force Member and Board of Directors Member, Howard County Arts Council.
Since its inception in 2012, the Maryland Film Production Activity Tax Credit has generated a total economic impact of nearly $1.5 billion, driven by 21 major productions, including House of Cards, Veep, Lady in the Lake, and Special Ops: Lioness. These projects have directly spent $827 million in the state, often hiring more than 1,000 Marylanders and utilizing thousands of local businesses per production. In Fiscal Year 2026, the tax credit issued $12 million in funding.
To learn more about the Howard County FILM Task Force, please visit: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/boards-commissions/film-industry-and-location-marketing-film-task-force.