Almost two dozen feature and TV movies were shot at least partially in Utah during the past fiscal year, according to figures released Friday by the Utah Film Commission. Filmmakers spent almost $145 million in the state - a 32 percent increase over the previous year.

Seven films have shot in Utah in just the past several months, making this summer the busiest since 1998. Another 841 potential film and TV projects are pending.

"Our state is poised to be absolutely the best in the nation for filmmaking outside of Los Angeles and New York," Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. told several hundred people Friday at the Utah Film Commission's annual luncheon in downtown Salt Lake City.

Well, not just yet. A survey by Production Update, a film industry magazine, ranked Utah ninth in the nation among states for film production spending in fiscal year 2005. But state officials are hoping a fledgling program that offers rebates to filmmakers will continue to draw more movie projects to Utah.

Launched in 2004, the incentive program gives filmmakers a 10 percent rebate on every dollar spent in the state. The program has helped fund 16 films, including "The World's Fastest Indian," starring Anthony Hopkins.

But Utah's film production rate still lags behind New Mexico, a comparable Western state that gives 25-percent tax rebates to producers who shoot there. And with 37 states now offering some form of financial incentives to filmmakers, Utah film-industry officials say they need more money to stay competitive.

Utah legislators have set aside $1 million annually for the incentive program. That fund was exhausted after the first two months of fiscal year 2006 and was depleted for 2007 before the current fiscal year even began on July 1.

Huntsman and Utah film industry officials are urging legislators to increase the incentive fund to at least $3 million a year. It would appear to be a good investment. Tim Nelson, board chairman of the Motion Picture Association of Utah, said Friday that for every dollar the state spends on attracting filmmakers to Utah, it gets $15 back in housing, food and other expenditures. And Aaron Lee Syrett, director of the Utah Film Commission, said that in the past fiscal year the film industry provided more than 5,100 jobs.

"Our new incentive packages have renewed interest [in Utah]," Huntsman said. "We need to make sure we do more to leverage that."

griggs@sltrib.com