St. Cloud seeks film-ready status to boost tourism and jobs using tax incentives and its movie history.

St. Cloud is pursuing designation as a Minnesota Film Ready Community to attract film and TV productions, leveraging its history with movies like *The Mighty Ducks* and *Catch Me If You Can*. The city, working with Visit Greater St. Cloud and Explore Minnesota, is cataloging filming locations including the Stearns County Courthouse and downtown areas, and developing a special permit process with a public hearing planned. State tax incentives totaling $25 million aim to boost local production activity. Officials hope filming will increase tourism, create jobs, and draw fans to real-life movie sites, joining other Minnesota communities in a growing film-ready network.