Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Article Image Alt Text

Kyle City Councilwoman Daphne Tenorio registered her family's historic dancehall and grocery, Tenorio's Village, on the Texas Film Commission’s website as a potential film location. Daily Record file photo by Rachel Willis

50 Locations in 50 Days campaign a success

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Texas Film Commission representatives recently announced a milestone in the San Marcos Cinema Club's 50 Locations in 50 Days challenge during the San Marcos City Council meeting. 

Texas Film Commission officials joined San Marcos Cinema Club on Tuesday night to announce a massive triumph in the property-registry initiative championed by the film society as a means of attracting productions to the region — an effort supported unanimously by proclamations by the Hays County Commissioners Court on July 16 and the City of San Marcos on Aug. 19. Delegates of Gov. Abbott's Economic Development Office said 82 properties in Hays County have signed up in the past 50 days to be potential TV and film locations —roughly a quarter of the registrations came from the City of San Marcos itself with parks and facilities. 

This comes on the tails of the Texas State University System Board of Regents voting to invest millions into Texas State University to drastically expand film focus. On Aug. 23, the Board of Regents voted to invest $10 million into creating "a cutting-edge space for new course offerings in film, video, sound and associated technologies" at Texas State University, with a soundstage, green screen, sound-mix studio and screening room on the way.

Cinema Club launched of 50 Locations in 50 Days campaign on July 12 after watching a presentation by cinema-industry veteran Randy Polk months earlier. Polk's presentation stressed the value of registering shooting locations in the Texas Film Commission website to help allure the TV and film industry to the area.

Councilwoman Lisa Prewitt championed the cause by urging others to participate and even registering her own historic home. Some local businesses also joined the cause and  signed up including: Root Cellar Cafe, Rhea's Ice Cream, Wonder World Cave and Park, Industry, Sean Patrick's, Gil's Broiler & Manske Roll Bakery, among others.

Earlier this year, the Greater San Marcos Partnership reported the total economic impact of the motion picture and TV production industry in Hays and Caldwell counties since 2008 exceeded $26 million.

The San Marcos Cinema Club plans on adding to that revenue with their third annual Lost River Film Fest, from Oct. 17-20, a four-day exaltation of indie cinema, live music, burlesque and a skatepark spectacle known as Wheelz & Reelz, this year featuring BMX legend Mat Hoffman. For more information about the film festival go to the website.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666