Boerne, TX, Aug. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Film Friendly Texas program provides ongoing training and guidance on media industry standards and best practices to help communities accommodate media production for film and TV. Film Friendly Certified Communities are trained to match local businesses with production-related needs and services while creating jobs for Texas-based crew members and residents. Hosting media productions helps to stimulate a community’s economy through spending at local businesses, lodging, restaurants, location fees, construction supplies, and more. Visit the Film Boerne website!
The City of Boerne began the process of becoming certified earlier in 2021. One of the requirements for certification calls for local governments to pass administratively enforceable filming guidelines to promote media production in a way that is beneficial to residents and industry professionals. Boerne City Council voted 5-0 to approve such guidelines in its meeting on June 8, 2021, establishing processes for permit requirements, fees, neighbor notification, and liability insurance.
Representatives from the city must also attend training workshops hosted by the Texas Film Commission as part of a city’s application process. Special Projects Manager Mary Woods, with the city’s Special Projects office, attended the required training and will be the city’s liaison to the commission and visiting production companies.
“Boerne’s Film Friendly Texas designation is a great economic development opportunity for the city’s businesses,” Woods said. “When film crews are here, they will stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores, buy our services and take the story of Boerne with them. The Texas Film Commission will be our ongoing partner and will advocate for Boerne when there is an opportunity that appears to be a fit for us.”
The City of Boerne submitted several filming location descriptions and photos to the TFC for inclusion on its website. Some of the locations include:
- The AgriCultural Museum and Arts Center
- Boerne City Park
- Main Plaza Park
- River Road Park
- Cibolo Trail
- Downtown Boerne
- Old No. 9 Trail and Depot
“Aside from the beautiful Hill Country setting and historic downtown, we believe one of our best assets to attract production companies is our proximity to San Antonio and its international airport. That will help us bring people in who in the past may have been more interested in locations around cities like Houston or Austin,” Woods said.
The Boerne Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Parks and Recreation Department have served in the past as the primary contacts for visiting media productions and will continue to play an integral role in Boerne’s group bookings and permitting efforts.
Some notable productions that have filmed in Boerne include 1973’s “The Sugarland Express,” starring Goldie Hawn; 1997’s “The Newton Boys,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Ethan Hawke; and 1999’s “All the Pretty Horses,” starring Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz. Texas-based TV travel programs like “The Daytripper” and “YOLO TX” have also filmed in and around Boerne.
The City of Boerne joins over 150 communities across the state in the Film Friendly Texas program, including the neighboring cities of Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Blanco, Bandera, and San Antonio.
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