McDonnell comments on ‘Lincoln’ Oscar nominations

Gov. Bob McDonnell was among the fans of the Steven Spielberg feature film, “Lincoln,” which was filmed in the Commonwealth, pleased to hear the news that the film had received 12 Oscar nominations, including best picture, best actor, best director, best supporting actor and best supporting actress.

This is in addition to seven Golden Globe nominations announced earlier.

“Virginia was indeed fortunate to host the cast and crew of ‘Lincoln’ as they filmed in and around Richmond and Petersburg last year,” McDonnell said. “The production, which was premiered simultaneously in Richmond and Hollywood in November, was breathtaking. We are excited that the film has been recognized in so many categories by the Academy as the recognition will inspire more people to see the film and more interest in visiting the Commonwealth and filming future productions using the scenery and historical sites available in Virginia.

“Congratulations to Steven Spielberg and the cast and crew of ‘Lincoln’ for their well-deserved nominations. The Commonwealth’s reputation as a great place to make a movie continues to grow, and the economic impact of the industry in the state continues to increase. Best of all, the growth of Virginia’s film industry means more good-paying jobs for Virginians.”

Since taking office, the governor has worked with the General Assembly to put in place policies to make Virginia more attractive to the film industry, including the use of targeted incentives. Virginia’s new policies have yielded substantial results. The 2011 total economic impact of the film and television industry in Virginia was $394.4 million, a 14.5 percent increase over 2010. In addition, 3,817 jobs were attributed to the film industry in 2011, up from 2,651 jobs in 2010.

Shot in the Richmond and Petersburg areas, “Lincoln” had direct expenditures of $32.4 million, for a total economic impact of $64.1 million. The film company hired 1,199 Virginia-based actors and extras and 380 crew members and utilized 23,580 room nights in local hotels and apartments.