Governor Greg Abbott has invited Texas communities to attend a Film-Friendly Texas Workshop in October. The workshop will be held in South Texas, according to the official press release from the governor’s office, in the Rio Grande Valley. The Texas Film Commission is hosting the workshop.
Community representatives in Texas are welcome to attend and learn more about the state’s film industry. They will also learn how the state focuses on attracting new investments or jobs in the industry and how they can participate by becoming Film Friendly Texas certified.
These representatives “will serve as the community’s point-of-contact for facilitating media production requests,” the press release shares. “Most communities choose a member of their city or county government, convention and visitors bureau, chamber of commerce, or economic development corporation.”
The Texas Film Commission has been around for more than 50 years and is dedicated to promoting the state as a film and media destination, according to Abbott.
Film-Friendly Texas was established in 2007, the office of the Texas governor’s website shares. Certified communities can utilize ongoing training and support from the film commission.
“The Film-Friendly Texas program establishes an elevated platform for building relationships with community liaisons across the state who are eager to work with media industry professionals and can hit the ground running when contacted about filming in their area,” the website shares.
“With one e-mail, the Texas Film Commission can distribute location requests and casting calls to its network of certified communities, providing a thorough level of customer service and trademark Texas hospitality to media industry professionals and community stakeholders alike.”
The Film-Friendly Texas program focuses on working with suburban and rural communities.
Media production in the state supports production at the local level, according to the governor’s website, by creating jobs for Texans.
“This type of economic development includes but is not limited to lodging, catering, transportation, location fees, lumber, construction supplies, local hires, and more,” according to Film Friendly Texas.
Current film-friendly certified locations include Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, downtown Gonzales, Lockhart, and Palestine, according to the website. More than 160 communities in Texas are certified locations.
The community of Palestine was used for the show “Revolution,” Lockhart was a featured location in “The Leftovers,” and the Gonzales community was used for “The Son” television show. For 13 seasons, Film-Friendly Texas certified location Fort Worth has appeared in the show “Texas Flip ‘N Move.”
The upcoming October 5 workshop will be hosted in McAllen at The Old Church McAllen, the Eventbrite page shares. Registration for the workshop will close on September 28.
Texas Film Commission staff will lead presentations on various media production-related topics. Some of these topics will include facilitating and expediting production requests, what to expect from different types of productions, understanding location agreements, and how locations are picked. Attendees can also tour the McAllen Creative Incubator.
The Film-Friendly Texas workshop will last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a break for lunch.
