What Montana actually pays
No statewide film incentive. City or county programs may still apply.
What qualifies
Competitive grant separate from the MEDIA Act credit. ~$1.5M annual pool. Categories: Feature/TV (uncapped), Resident Filmmaker Feature/TV ($100K max), Short-Form ($50K max), Resident Short-Form ($50K max). Reimbursed after qualified expenses verified.
- Commercial
- Short Film
- Documentary
- Scripted TV
- Feature Film
Other state programs
Separate incentives Montana runs alongside the headline program. Each has its own base, rules and application — the rates here are the programs' own, not additions to the rate above.
- 8%
Montana Lodging Facility Sales & Use Tax — 30-Day Exemption
Minimum spend: N/A
How to apply
Apply to the Montana Film Office during an open competitive cycle (one application per applicant per cycle). Scored on Montana hiring, local spend, and economic/tourism impact.
The rule to remember
The ONLY pursuable Montana money today. Competitive, lodging-tax funded, currently between cycles: the next launches late fall 2026. Uncapped non-resident feature/TV, $100K resident feature/TV, $50K short-form. Last round awarded $970,000 across 22 productions.
Film commissions in Montana
The public office for location support, permits, local crew and vendors. Every one listed is a member of the Association of Film Commissioners International.
Common questions
- Does Montana have a film tax incentive?
- Montana has no statewide film incentive as of our last review on 2026-10-16. City or county programs may still apply, and neighboring states often do offer programs worth structuring around.
Verify before you budget. These figures come from our own incentives database and each shows when it was last reviewed — but programs change between funding cycles and legislative sessions. Confirm with the film office, or ask us, before a number goes into a budget.
Compare with
Programs in a similar rate band. The mechanism matters as much as the percentage — a transferable credit at 30% is not the same money as a cash grant at 30%.
Maine
5%Non-transferable creditJamaica
10%RebateArizona
15%up to 20%Refundable creditGeorgia
20%Transferable credit
STAY CURRENT
Tracking changes to this program?
We re-verify Montana against the film office and the statute, and write when something moves that would change a budget. One email, no cadence you didn't ask for.