AICP Midwest will present “The 40% Frontier” on Wednesday, May 27, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center, bringing together leaders from advertising, production, government, and finance to educate the creative community on Illinois’ expanded Film Production Tax Credit program and its implications for commercial advertising production.
Designed for CFOs, CMOs, producers, brand strategists, procurement executives, government relations teams, art buyers, and account management professionals, “The 40% Frontier” will provide an in-depth look at how Illinois’ newly expanded incentive structure can significantly impact commercial production budgets while reinforcing Chicago and Illinois as premier destinations for creative production. Registration is required to attend the event. Register here.
The event comes on the heels of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signing legislation at the end of 2025 that expanded the state’s film production tax credit program from 30% to 35%, while introducing an additional 5% “green uplift” for environmentally sustainable productions–the first incentive program of its kind in the United States. Together, qualifying productions may now realize up to 40% in tax credit savings when producing in Illinois.
A 2024 study from the international creative industries consultancy, Olsberg SPI, estimated that more than 90 percent of productions filming in Illinois utilize the incentive program, which has generated more than $4.5 billion in economic activity between 2017 and 2024. For every dollar in incentives, a reported $6.81 is returned to the economy.
Programming during “The 40% Frontier” will include a detailed breakdown of the new Illinois tax credit structure, practical case studies demonstrating real-world applications for commercial advertising productions, discussions on effectively monetizing credits, sustainability-focused production strategies, and multiple Q&A sessions with industry experts and government officials.
Featured speakers and panelists include:
Charlie Shikany, VP Procurement, Constellation Brands
Pedro Roura, Content Production Consultant
Lisa Masseur, President, AICP Midwest and Founder, Tessa Films
Qadree Holmes, Founder, Quriosity Productions and AICP Midwest/National Board Member
Kenya K. Merritt, Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
Natasha Olguin, Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Film Office
Peter Hawley, Deputy Director, Illinois Film Office
Cesar Lopez, Tax Credit Manager, Illinois Film Office
Anthony Barraca, Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer, IATSE Local 476 and Board President, Illinois Production Alliance
Christine Dudley, Executive Director, Illinois Production Alliance
Mark Rowland and Veronica Appleton, Co-Presidents, Chicago Advertising Federation
Kylie Ruehl, Managing Director, TPC
Kenny Blaine, Partner, Credits and Incentives Corp
Valerie Clark, Senior Accountant, EJF CPA
Ellen White, Founder, Ecofixr
Jim Shearer, Managing Director, Essanay Studios
Louise Rider, Executive Producer, Another Country
Marsie Wallach, Freelance Line Producer
“Chicago has long been one of the great production and advertising cities in the world, and this expanded incentive program positions our city to compete even more aggressively for commercial, television, and film production,” said the DCASE Commissioner Merritt. “The addition of sustainability incentives demonstrates that Illinois is thinking about the future of production — supporting economic growth while encouraging environmentally responsible filmmaking practices.”
Peter Hawley, deputy director of the Illinois Film Office, added, “The expanded tax credit program creates a significant opportunity for brands, agencies, and production companies looking to maximize both creative ambition and production efficiency. Illinois offers world-class crews, infrastructure, locations, and talent, and now the economics are even more compelling.”
Christine Dudley, executive director of the Illinois Production Alliance, said, “From an advertising standpoint, Chicago goes back to Tony the Tiger and the dawn of modern advertising. One of the things we consistently heard from brands and agencies was: stop talking to us only about money and talk to us about value. This incentive is ultimately a value proposition–helping brands understand why producing in Illinois delivers both creative excellence and meaningful financial advantages.”
For Qadree Holmes, the founder and executive producer at Quriosity Productions, the expanded program creates new momentum for local and national production opportunities.
“We see this as an opportunity to actually drive business to the state for folks that are unaware that these tax credits exist,” Holmes said. “As production company owners, many of us use this to help leverage bringing work here. We’re in a financial business now where creative art has to meet commerce. This allows brands and agencies to strategize intelligently without sacrificing creative quality. You can still access top-tier talent while creating meaningful savings that can either reduce marketing costs or allow brands to create even more content.”
Organizers say the event represents an unprecedented collaboration among the advertising, production, labor, accounting, sustainability and government sectors to ensure the broader business community fully understands how to take advantage of the expanded Illinois incentive structure.
