From KERA’s Art&Seek:
Fort Worth isn’t a mecca for the film industry. Red Sanders would like to change that.
Earlier this month, Fort Worth’s Red Productions debuted its newest film – “A Bad Idea Gone Wrong” – at South by Southwest Film Festival. While in Austin, the company’s founder didn’t just pressing flesh with movie studios and media members.
Sanders spoke to the State Senate about the importance of the film incentive program.
“I can guarantee you, in the future, if we’re forced to look at all of our neighboring states that have rebate programs, the business that I founded here in Texas, and I want to keep here in Texas, is going to have to continue looking elsewhere to be able to justify costs for our investors,” Sanders warned the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development.
Sanders supports the film incentive program, because it helps Texans like him produce low-budget films. It also shows off what the Lone Star State has to offer.
“The landscape of Texas is an amazing backdrop to get to film in,” said Sanders. “You have literally like every look you could hope to accomplish here.”
Despite the landscape, Sanders is worried about the future of the Texas Film Industry, because the proposed state budget slashes the current film incentive program.Four years ago, the state spent $95 million. If the budget passes, it’ll spend only $3.5 million. That has consequences for Sanders, and for Texas.
“We’ve got “Sleeping in Plastic” that’s a Texas-set story that we’re going to go shoot in Oklahoma, because our current incentive program was cut back so much last time that there’s not any money left in the rebate program,” said Sanders.
