Jaimie Engle, a screenwriter, novelist and producer from Satellite Beach, was hoping to have her romantic comedy, “Just Jake,” filmed in Florida.
It’s a story of a country-music star who returns to his hometown to overcome his writer’s block and reunites with his high school girlfriend. Engle said she likes to feature Florida locations in her work, so her original concept was to have “Just Jake” take place in Cocoa Village.
But filming in Florida didn’t happen. The made-for-TV movie instead was filmed over the fall in Colorado, which, unlike Florida, has financial incentives available that encourage film crews to work there.
It’s a growing frustration for Engle and other Floridians in the movie, television and commercial industries, who want to film in Florida, but can’t persuade the Florida Legislature to reinstitute production financial incentives that have become a necessary lure. Without those, states like Florida get skipped. See more here.
