Film Friendly at the Texas State Capitol
In celebration of the Texas Film Commission's 50th Anniversary, we went to the archives to see how our history has been shaped by the initiatives, programs and productions from the past 50 years. View more from the archives here. #TFC50
June 23 - July 8, 2018 | 2018 marked another incredible milestone for the Texas Film Commission: 10 years of Film Friendly Texas certified communities! The FFTX program was established in 2007 to train communities on media industry standards, best practices and how to effectively accommodate media production in their communities - an invaluable resource that helps position Texas a premier destination for media production.
The TFC took the opportunity to showcase the many communities that became a part of the program - since Smithville's certification in 2008 - by presenting an interactive exhibit at the Texas State Capitol. The thousands of summer tourists - families, schools, and international visitors - were educated on the many facets of the program, as well as the economic impact of the productions that have visited so many communities across the state.
One story featured in the exhibit was that of Gonzales, a community that welcomed AMC's The Son soon after becoming FFTX certified. The exhibit traced the story of Gonzales' certification, as well as the economic impact felt by local businesses when the production came to town.
"It was really cool when we both got to walk over to the set; a lot of that came from our store. We got great business from them. It made a huge impact on our vendors and profitability," said Main St. Marketplace store owner Sarah Tenberg.
Since 2018, the Film Friendly Texas program continues to grow with certified communites. We now celebrate more than 150 certified communities in the state!