A study released today by the University of Massachusetts Boston tracking the growth of the state’s film industry finds that Massachusetts is among the fastest growing locations for film and television production in the United States, experiencing greater growth than some states with more generous tax credit programs. The study also finds that the film industry has created new jobs, while the state and national job base is shrinking, and that it provides new career paths for graduates in this college-rich state.

The Bay State is poised to finally hit the big-time, from a potential Boston-based TV series to budding plans for a studio complex in South Boston. In an era where state and federal governments are desperately shelling out cash to create jobs, one pothole at a time, this relatively low-cost industry incentive looks like a bargain. In fact, it’s a whole lot more justifiable than many. The film tax credit was meant to bring in spending and jobs. On that front, it has succeeded admirably. Spending by film productions in the state soared from $71 million in 2006 to nearly $400 million in 2009. That’s a huge infusion into the local economy over four years, and does not count hundreds of millions in additional indirect spending as well. Over the same period, these productions have also created thousands of jobs.

According to the Massachusetts Production Coalition, that tax incentive has helped to generate more than $1 billion in new economic activity. People connected to the film industry say they fear the proposed cap on credits would affect decisions by West Coast producers to work in Massachusetts – and discourage potential investors from the Plymouth studio project.

“Shutter Island” takes place off the coast of Massachusetts in the 1950s, in and around a hospital for the criminally insane run by an eccentric and possibly dangerous doctor (Ben Kingsley). Shot mostly in and around Boston Harbor, including Peddocks Island) may most closely resemble Scorsese’s 1991 “Cape Fear” remake.

Needless to say, the governor is not in favor of the film credit cap, writing, “Fewer productions coming here means fewer jobs, less money spent at New Mexico businesses, and less revenue for the state during economic conditions when we can least afford it.”

Hollywood honey Anne Hathaway took her hazing by Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatrical troupe yesterday with humor, some bad poetry and a great set of pipes!

A snowy motorcade through Harvard Square. A bawdy drag queen show. A brass pot to put on the mantel. It all added up to one memorable afternoon for actress Anne Hathaway as she received the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 60th Woman of the Year. In time-honored Pudding tradition, Hathaway, 27, was brought onstage at Harvard’s New College theater for a 30-minute roast hosted by Pudding pooh-bahs Clifford Murray and Derek Mueller.

A Department of Revenue report that was released last year on this issue has been widely mischaracterized as a scathing assessment of the tax credit. In fact, that report shows that the credit has been a success, conservatively sparking more than $300 million in direct economic activity in Massachusetts in just its first three years (that’s excluding the salaries for out-of-state actors and other crew members).

The Bay State film industry is giving a thumbs down to Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan to slash the tax credit that helped create more than $1 billion in economic activity. “The film tax credit costs only one dime for every $1 it creates in jobs and economic growth,” said Mary Fifield, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Production Coalition, a group of companies that make films in the region.

The Massachusetts Production Coalition answers critics of the film tax credit.

Newton natives Eli Roth and John Krasinski impressed Esquire’s fashion police on the Red Carpet at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards.

For the past decade, MovieMaker’s editors have paid careful attention to location trends. From recent financial incentives to new soundstages, we have tracked these developments. Here, then, is MM’s 10th annual ranking of the country’s best cities in which to be an independent moviemaker: Albuquerque, NM; Los Angeles, CA; Shreveport, LA; New York, NY; Austin, TX; Stamford, CT; Boston, MA 
; Detroit, MI; Philadelphia, PA; Seattle, WA

The Globe caught up with Newton-bred “Glee’’ creator Brad Falchuk on the West Coast the other day, shortly after he picked up the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical series. “To be totally honest with you, you don’t think you care until you get there and then it’s like, I kind of care, I kind of want to win.’’

Harry Potter comes to the Museum of Science! Exhibition departs on February 21st.

Industries, individual firms, neighborhoods and low income residents are benefitting from the state’s tax incentive programs. And in some cases, the state benefits as well. Both State Senator Ben Downing and Boston Fed policy analyst Jennifer Weiner point to the film tax credit as a success. “A strong argument can be made that were it not for that credit, none of those movies would have been filmed here,” Downing said. Those movies include “Gone Baby Gone” as well as films such as Bruce Willis’ “The Surrogates,” which filmed in part in Worcester. And Weiner noted that states like Connecticut and Michigan have jumped into the film tax credit pool, as well. Michigan’s film credit is even more generous than Massachusetts’, she said.

According to the DOR report, between 2006 and 2009, direct new spending in the state as a result of movie production topped an estimated $1 billion and led to more than 3,000 new direct and indirect jobs.

Oscar-nominated actress Anne Hathaway can add another honor to her list: a Hasty Pudding award.

The ninth season of “American Idol,” the final of the series’ star judge Simon Cowell, debuted last night on FOX to boffo ratings. The show opened its first half hour of its Boston auditions with Victoria Beckham serving as a guest judge for the departed Paula Abdul with 26 million viewers and grew through the 9 PM half-hour. It peaked at 9 PM with 32 million viewers.