Film Friendly Texas

Established in 2007, the Film Friendly Texas (FFTX) program is a certification and marketing program administrated by the Texas Film Commission. Film Friendly Texas Certified Communities receive ongoing training and guidance from the Texas Film Commission regarding media industry standards, best practices and how to effectively accommodate media production in their communities. The Film Friendly Texas program serves as an invaluable resource that helps position Texas as a premier destination for media production.

Participation in the FFTX program provides Texas communities with a network for fostering media production in their municipalities and sends a clear message to media industry professionals that Film Friendly Texas Certified Communities are serious about attracting their business.

Explore FFTX Certified Communities!

Table of Contents

• Generating Economic Impact and Job Creation for Texas Communities
• Certification Steps
• A Vast Network of Statewide Certified Communities
• Sample Filming Guidelines & Permit Application
• TFC Community Liaison Portal

Generating Economic Impact & Job Creation for Texas Communities

Through the Film Friendly Texas certification process, statewide communities are prepared to meet the opportunities and challenges of accommodating media production and are readied to help match local businesses with production-related needs and services.

The media production industries of Texas stimulate local economies by creating jobs for Texas-based crew members and local residents, as well as spurring on-site spending at local small businesses. This type of economic development includes but is not limited to: lodging, catering, transportation, location fees, lumber, construction supplies, local hires and more.

View economic impact case studies from Film Friendly Texas Certified Communities.

Certification Steps:

1. Establish an official Film Friendly Texas liaison within the community who is affiliated with a local government organization and will facilitate requests for on location filming such as use of city property, roads, and sidewalks.
2. Attend a "How to Become a Film Friendly Texas Certified Community" workshop, hosted by the Texas Film Commission.
   View upcoming workshops.
3. Pass administratively enforceable filming guidelines that promote media production in a way that is both mutually beneficial for residents and industry professionals alike.
   View a sample document. 
4. Submit photos of a minimum of five (5) filming locations in your community for inclusion in the Texas Film Commission location database.
   Learn more about how to submit your community's photos.

A Vast Network of Statewide Certified Communities

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.

With an emphasis on working with Texas' rural and suburban communities, the FFTX program assists statewide certified communities in marketing their unique attributes and resources. 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 industry professionals and community stakeholders alike.

Film Friendly Texas Sample Guidelines

The downloadable and editable sample documents below are intended as a potential starting point for use by your community’s leadership and legal counsel in crafting an appropriate permit application and set of filming guidelines.

• Sample Filming Guidelines & Permit Application

  • An editable template for municipalities and counties to customize (as needed) to meet the Film Friendly Texas certification requirement of passing administratively enforceable filming guidelines.
  • Download: Film Friendly Texas Sample Filming Guidelines and Permit Application (PDF)

• Sample Notification Letter

  • A letter productions can use to inform businesses and homes of proposed production activity.
  • Download: Notification Leaflet (Word File)

• Sample Neighborhood Signoff Form

  • A form productions can use to show cities or counties proof of notification to potentially affected businesses and the sites of proposed production activity.
  • Download: Neighborhood Signoff (PDF)

• Production Crew Positions

  • A glossary of key positions on a typical production.
  • Position Definitions: View Glossary

TFC Community Liaison Portal

The portal is intended exclusively for designated Film Friendly Texas Community Liaisons to track their community’s FFTX status, program deliverables, and official notifications.

• Track community's current status
• View workshops attended
• Upload filming guidelines
• Track submitted filming locations
• Update contact information
• View program notifications

Enter the Community Contact Portal