LA’s Film Liaison Gives Update On Local Production Woes, Asks Lawmakers For “Additional Support” During City Council Meeting

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LA’s Film Liaison Gives Update On Local Production Woes, Asks Lawmakers For “Additional Support” During City Council Meeting

Deadline · 2 hours ago

Los Angeles city councilmembers held the first meeting of a new Ad Hoc Committee on Film, Entertainment and Creative Industry on Wednesday, questioning city officials for hours on how to make it easier to shoot film and TV productions in the city. The session centred on chief film liaison Steve Kang, who was appointed by Mayor Karen Bass in August 2025 to cut red tape in permitting and regulatory processes and to help retain and win back productions, and who used the meeting to request more staff and funding to expand his office's efforts.

Kang cited the "concierge service" given to Fox's Baywatch reboot, which required coordinating the city, county, state coastal commission, lifeguards, beaches and harbor department, and the film commission, as evidence his approach can work, though he acknowledged it would be hard to replicate that level of support across all productions given that the city's film office effectively consists of him alone. He told the committee, chaired by Adrin Nazarian with vice chair Traci Park and member Imelda Padilla, that an approved extra position on the Board of Public Works had been frozen until January due to budget constraints, and asked lawmakers for "additional support" to staff up the concierge service; Nazarian said he would look into the staffing concerns.

  • LA council grilled officials on speeding up film/TV production permitting.
  • Film liaison Steve Kang cited Baywatch's smooth permitting as a model.
  • Kang asked for more funding and staff after a position was frozen.

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Los Angeles has long been the traditional home of film and TV production, but in recent years many shoots have moved to other cities, states and countries offering cheaper costs or simpler rules. This has raised concern among local officials and industry groups about lost jobs and revenue, prompting the city to look at ways of making it easier and more attractive to film there.

In response, Mayor Karen Bass appointed Steve Kang as the city's chief film liaison in August 2025, a role created to simplify permitting and other bureaucratic hurdles for productions and to encourage companies to film in LA rather than elsewhere. The city council has also set up a new Ad Hoc Committee on Film, Entertainment and Creative Industry, led by councilmember Adrin Nazarian alongside Traci Park and Imelda Padilla, to examine these issues directly with city officials.

At the heart of the discussion is how much support the city can realistically offer productions, given that Kang's office currently relies on very limited staffing and funding. The outcome matters because it could shape whether Los Angeles is able to compete with rival filming locations, with knock-on effects for local jobs and businesses that depend on the entertainment industry.

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