EXCLUSIVE: “Look around, studio lots like this one used to be full of people,” declares Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman in a new video on her plan to create more production in the home of Hollywood. “Costumers, electricians, set medics, caterers, 1000s of Angelenos making a living. Now these lots are quiet. Since 2018, shooting days in the city of Los Angeles have fallen by a half.”
“That means less work for families across our city, and less money to support our small businesses.”
The leading challenger to unseat incumbent Karen Bass, the councilmember for L.A.’s industry heavy 4th District says she wants fairer fees, uncapped state tax credits and a film czar who will “cut through red tape and coordinate across city departments.”
Or, as the spouse of 30 Rock producer Vali Chandrasekaren, put its bluntly: “This issue is personal to me, because my husband works in the industry too.”
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Watch the video, obtained exclusively by Deadline here:
In a policy paper released by the Raman campaign, the candidate pledges to use the bully pulpit to get the next governor to expand California’s currently $750 million film and TV tax incentive program – which was juiced up by outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom last year. Former Time’s Up exec, who was elected to City Council in 2020, Raman says she’ll “be the loudest advocates for the most expansive possible film tax credits at the state and federal level, guaranteed multiple years into the future so that producers and studios can count on them.”
Even with her deep ties to the industry and the strong support Jeffrey Katzenberg offered her 2022 City Hall bid, ex-Congresswoman Bass only appointed an official film czar last August. As it is, Board of Public Works President Steve Kang has next to no experience with the industry – a quality Raman says she will change with her “Day One” appointee to the gig.
It should be noted Mayor Bass had next to nothing to say about the film and TV industry in her City Budget released on April 20. However, because politics is a hard knuckle game, FilmLA today announced the Low Impact Permit Pilot Program that in coordination with Bass’ May 2025 signed Executive Director 11, “will allow filmmakers working on low impact film shoots to obtain City of Los Angeles film permits at a significantly reduced price.” Adding to those hard knuckles, attacks on Raman’s film and TV industry legislative history on City Council have been circulating in the campaign.
It’s easy to see why.
In what was looking like a coronation for Bass, despite fallout from the January 2025 wildfires, dwindling city services and more, Raman joined the race on the last possible day. The outspoken councilmember, whose district includes Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and the San Fernando Valley, filed her paperwork on February 7.
The L.A. Mayor’s race takes places in two ballot stages with a primary on June 2. If no one candidate garners more that 50% of the vote, as occurred in Bass’s battle with developer Rick Caruso in 2022, then the election goes to a runoff on November 3 – the same day as the nationwide midterms.