The Texas Film Commission is hosting a free virtual workshop to help communities across the state attract film and TV productions, create local jobs, and join a growing network of more than 200 certified communities.
If you’ve ever watched a film or TV show and thought “that could have been shot here” — this workshop is your starting point for making it happen.
The Texas Film Commission has announced a virtual Film Friendly Texas Workshop on Thursday, May 21, open to communities across the state. It’s free, it runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and it could be the first step toward bringing real production jobs and economic activity to your city or county.
What the Workshop Covers
Co-hosted by the Texas Film Commission and Visit Granbury, the virtual session offers professional development and information on how to become a Film Friendly Texas Certified Community — including the specific steps, what certification requires, and how to position your community to attract media productions once certified.
Attending a Texas Film Commission workshop is one of the required steps in the certification process, making this a practical and necessary first move for any community serious about building a local media production presence.
“Texas’ growing media production industry supports local jobs and creates revenue in communities across our great state,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “The Texas Film Commission works with our community partners to market their unique skills, attract new investments in media production, and create good-paying jobs for Texans. I invite all Texas communities to attend this workshop to leverage the advantages of being certified as a Film Friendly Texas Community.”
Who Should Attend
This workshop is specifically designed for community leaders who will serve as the designated Film Friendly Texas liaison in their area — the person responsible for facilitating media production inquiries and connecting productions with local resources. That includes people employed by city or county government, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, or local economic development corporations.
If your organization is responsible for growing your local economy and attracting investment, this is exactly the kind of program worth a morning of your time.
Why Film Friendly Certification Matters
The Film Friendly Texas Certified Community program launched in 2007 and has grown to include more than 200 communities statewide. Certification signals to production companies that a community is production-ready — organized, welcoming, and equipped to support film, television, commercial, and other media projects.
Productions bring with them direct spending on local hotels, restaurants, vendors, and crew — economic activity that ripples outward far beyond the production itself. For smaller and mid-sized Texas communities in particular, a single production can generate significant revenue and visibility.
The Texas Film Commission has spent more than 50 years promoting Texas as a premier destination for film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, video game, and extended reality production. The breadth of that portfolio — from Hollywood features to streaming series to interactive media — means that certified communities have access to a wide and growing market of potential productions looking for the right location.
How to Register
The workshop is virtual, free, and open to qualifying community representatives across Texas.
Event: Film Friendly Texas Virtual Workshop Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT Format: Virtual Co-hosted by: Texas Film Commission and Visit Granbury Registration: gov.texas.gov/film/page/fftx_workshops Program overview: gov.texas.gov/film/page/fftx_overview
