Congratulations to Bastrop County for adding the “Film Friendly Community” moniker to their name, having completed the multi-step training and certification process while continuing the tradition of welcoming hospitality and a can-do attitude for film productions of all kinds. This designation, only the fifth awarded to a county in a state with 254 counties, comes from the Texas Film Commission and the Office of the Governor.
“I congratulate Bastrop County on earning the Film Friendly Texas designation and joining its member cities of Smithville — the first Film Friendly Texas community ever certified — as well as Elgin and Bastrop,” said Governor Abbott.
Long before receiving the designation, Bastrop County and its towns have worked to attract, assist and encourage productions with over 200 on the books in various sizes, types and economic scale from student projects to commercials to music videos to movies and television series.
Filmed in Bastrop County include the following movies: “Hope Floats,” “Tree of Life,” “Bernie,” “Friday Night Lights,” and cult-classic “The Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre” among others. A self-guided Bastrop County Texas Film Trail takes you through 10 locations in the county.
Bastrop County is also home to Spiderwood Studios 969 and Wyldwood Studios.
“Bastrop County has always appreciated and enjoyed the wonderful relationships between productions and our citizens and businesses. But never before have those relationships been more critical,” said Adena Lewis, Bastrop County Director of Tourism & Economic Development. “As we all learn to do business in this new recovery environment, Bastrop County has been especially proud to provide a place for Texans to get back to work and for our business to feel a positive impact from the production dollars brought into Bastrop County.”
Bastrop County joins 150 Film Friendly Texas communities 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, according to the Texas Film Commission.
Bastrop County is also the Film Hospitality Capital of Texas, after being designated by HCR 131 in the Texas legislature two years ago.
“For decades, the residents of Bastrop County have opened their homes, businesses, and properties to film productions of all sizes, forming relationships with industry professionals,” said Representative John Cyrier, who worked to officially gain this designation for Bastrop County. “I congratulate Bastrop County on earning the well-deserved Film Friendly Texas designation and look forward to seeing the county featured in future productions.”
VIDEO from Office of the Governor
