Posted on 05 Aug 2022

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the City of Fritch, having completed the multi-step training and certification process, has been designated as a Film Friendly Texas community by the Texas Film Commission. For more than 50 years, the Texas Film Commission has helped grow local jobs and economies by promoting the Lone Star State as the premier destination for film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, video game, and extended reality (XR) production.

“I congratulate the City of Fritch on earning the Film Friendly Texas designation and joining more than 160 other Texas communities who have received this recognition,” said Governor Abbott. “The Lone Star State is brimming with promise, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside all of our communities to ensure they have the knowledge and tools needed to succeed. Through the Film Friendly Texas training and certification process, communities large and small are readied to help match local businesses with production-related needs, creating jobs for Texas-based crew members and local residents, as well as spurring on-site spending at local small businesses. I am proud of all the Texas Film Commission has accomplished in helping communities like Fritch market their unique appeal and support local job creation through media production.”

“Having the Film Friendly Texas designation for Fritch is a terrific way to highlight the uniqueness rural cities like ours have to offer and is a fantastic economic development opportunity,” said Drew Brassfield, Fritch City Manager. “We’re excited to show off the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, and we are looking forward to the positive impact this will have on our city’s future.”

“We are a small community with a hometown feel, and yet we are only thirty-five minutes from an international airport,” said Christina Athey, Fritch City Secretary, who serves as the designated Film Friendly Texas community partner in Fritch. “While our lake is a modern boating and recreational lake, because it is National Park, it also has the feel and look of the old ‘Wild West.’ We are excited to show the world all we have to offer!”

The City of Fritch in the Panhandle region joins more than 160 Film Friendly Texas communities from across the state that receive ongoing training and guidance from the Texas Film Commission on media industry standards, best practices, and how to effectively accommodate on-location filming activity in their community.

The Texas Film Commission in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism has attracted $1.74 billion in local spending and created more than 162,000 production jobs across the state from 2007 to 2021.

Original article: https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-film-friendly-texas-designation-for-the-city-of-fritch