EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for lights, cameras, action across Texas.
On Thursday, Abbott announced the Film Friendly Texas Forum will be hosted at Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas. Abbott and the Texas Film Commission (TFC) will host the two-day film festival on Sept. 24 through Sept. 25, as part of the TFC’s 50th anniversary celebration.
KTSM 9 News spoke with local filmmakers about how the forum will impact the Borderland’s film scene.
“We’ve actually been waiting for Texas to get back into the film production game for the past decade. Funding has always fluctuated due to the state legislature not being consistent with providing the right tax rebates and incentives for the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program,” says Carlos F. Corral, Artistic Director of El Paso Film Festival and owner of MindWarpFilms, LLC. “
“In 2011, budget cuts to the state’s rebate program dropped the operating budget to $32 million. Then, the program increased in 2014 to $95 million over three years thanks to SB 837 in the Texas Senate. Since then, Texas has not tried to compete in the film production industry. That’s why all the productions go right next door to New Mexico.”
The Film Friendly Texas Forum will offer continuing education and professional development opportunities for Film Friendly Texas certified communities, while also operating as an invitation to all communities to start the Film Friendly Texas certification process.
TFC staff and industry professional will discuss the ways communities can cultivate local job growth and bolster economic development via focused sessions:
- Film Tourism
- Tools for Building Industry Infrastructure
- Becoming a Digital Media Friendly Community
- Film Friendly Texas Community Partner Roundtable Mentor Sessions
- Community Day: Networking, Tours of Southfork Ranch, Live Music and more
Corral says that bringing film production has been a challenge in the past but are hopeful for the future.
“We look forward to being part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s film forum and we hope he’ll understand just how much the film industry can benefit the state’s economy and expand a city’s workforce,” he says. “In Georgia, the film industry brought in $9.5 billion in 2017 while New Mexico brought in $623 million in 2021, setting a new record this year. There’s room for Texas Film to grow now that film and television productions are starting back up again.”
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