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Nithya Raman pitches plan to revive LA film jobs
Raman, who represents Council District 4, said the issue is personal because her husband works in the industry.
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Pranavi Sharma - Wed, 22, Apr 2026
- 01:51 EDT
- 36
Nithya Raman / X@Nithya Raman
LA mayor hopeful Nithya Raman said in a recent X post that film and television jobs should remain in Los Angeles, outlining a plan to bring production work back to the city as part of her 2026 mayoral campaign.
In a campaign video, Raman said studio lots that once employed thousands of workers are now quieter, pointing to a decline in filming activity. “Since 2018, shooting days in the city of Los Angeles have fallen by a half,” she said, adding that the drop has reduced work for families and revenue for small businesses.
Raman, who represents Council District 4, said the issue is personal because her husband works in the industry. She is running for mayor, she said, “to make sure Los Angeles stays the film and TV capital of the world.”
Hollywood jobs belong in LA. Here’s how to help bring them back: pic.twitter.com/s0envl9z1i
— Nithya Raman (@nithyavraman) April 21, 2026
She criticized the current administration’s timeline for appointing a film liaison, saying it took “almost three years.” She said that, if elected, she would appoint a liaison on her first day in office. The role, she said, should be filled by someone familiar with production logistics and costs who can coordinate across city departments and “cut through red tape.”
Raman also proposed changes to the city’s fee structure for productions. She said independent filmmakers currently pay the same fees as large studio projects, which she argued makes Los Angeles less accessible to smaller productions. “That’s pricing indie movies out of Los Angeles,” she said.
In addition, she called for a tax credit program without a cap that would be guaranteed long term, allowing production companies to plan future investments in the city. She said she would lobby state officials in Sacramento to secure such incentives.
Raman entered the mayoral race earlier this year, focusing her campaign on housing affordability, homelessness and governance reform. An urban planner, she co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, a grassroots group addressing homelessness.
She was elected to the City Council in 2020 after defeating a two-term incumbent, running on a platform that emphasized tenant protections and expanded social services. During her tenure, she has supported policies aimed at increasing affordable housing, strengthening renter protections and improving oversight of homelessness spending.
Her campaign has cited early polling as a sign of momentum. In a post on X, Raman wrote, “OUR CAMPAIGN IS SURGING,” referencing a Loyola Marymount University poll that showed her with about 32.5 percent support, nearly double that of incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
The Los Angeles mayoral election is scheduled for 2026.
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