It's not just the big budget films, indies are coming, too

Less glamorous, lesser-known beneficiaries of the legislation are local filmmakers like Victor Fanucchi, who just finished an intensive five-week shoot in Ann Arbor for his feature film, "Art House." The comedy - set to feature a cameo appearance by Iggy Pop - focuses on art students who are living at a communal house when a university dean and a descendant of the house's original benefactor decide that the place might be better used as a residence for varsity golf players.

"The starting point was stories from when I lived in a vegetarian co-op in college (at Princeton)," said Fanucchi, who works as a lecturer in screenwriting and film production at the University of Michigan. "There are plenty of stories that come out of that kind of living situation."

Once a story came together, Fanucchi knew precisely where he wanted to shoot. "I'd gone to an after-party during the (2007 Ann Arbor Film) Festival that was hosted by Black Elk Co-op (on Baldwin Street) ... and I experienced a bit of nostalgia going to this place," Fanucchi said.