A dramatic increase in state tax credits to help film and television productions in Pennsylvania was still on the drawing board yesterday, and final approval by lawmakers was still unclear.

Discussions were under way for a $75 million tax credit program to lure large productions to the state, matched with $5 million in grants for smaller ones. That would be a huge increase over the current incentives.

"We went from a $10 million incentive program to $80 million this year," said Dawn Keezer of the Pittsburgh Film Office. "We are thrilled and are very excited about the new opportunities that this will be bringing to the Commonwealth and Southwestern Pennsylvania."

Keezer said $215 million in filmed entertainment productions have expressed interest in filming in Western Pennsylvania if the tax credits came to pass, with another $320 million in productions interested in filming in the eastern half of the state.

To qualify, 60 percent of film expenditures (on wardrobe, transportation, food, lighting and such) would have to be in the state. Of that spending, productions could get up to 25 percent back in tax rebates.

It could take several days for legislators and the Rendell administration to finally approve the 2007-08 budget.

-- Post-Gazette staff writer Tim McNulty and PG TV editor Rob Owen