TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — The Oklahoma Film and Music Office is reporting significant growth in the film industry here in Oklahoma since updating the state’s film incentive in 2021.
“You’ve seen biomed, biotech, and biomanufacturing. And now you’re really seeing the growth of the film industry in our great state as well. It’s creating jobs and opportunities,” said State Representative Brian Hill.
State and local film offices met with film industry workers and state lawmakers to discuss the benefits of current film policies and the opportunities new policies could provide to the film industry here in Oklahoma.
“We are just promoting the film industry in this next session and trying to get additional funds and support for our program for this whole state of Oklahoma,” said Meg Gould, the Executive Director and Film Commissioner for the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts, and Culture.
The Oklahoma Film and Music Office touting the direct spending Oklahoma has seen since the state updated its film incentive in 2021.
According to a recent economic impact study they conducted, incentivized spending tied to the state’s film rebate increased roughly six-fold since they updated it.
They say that in the 2021 to 2023 period, there have been 484 million dollars in incentivized spending.
The Oklahoma Film and Music Office says that’s over 161 million dollars annually.
“This is a statewide effort, and all the film offices are working together in order to do this and grow it in Oklahoma as a whole. But we are also, of course, very selfish. We want it to come to Tulsa. So we’re working on two different levels,” said Gould. “We were just named number 15 in MovieMaker Magazine for places to live and work as a filmmaker,” said Gould.
She says that from July to June last year, they tracked over 14 million dollars in direct spending from projects filmed in Tulsa.
“We’re locking arms with the state and really just want to continue seeing this vibrant industry grow,” said Jennifer Loren, the Senior Director of Cherokee Film.
Loren says they offer an incentive of their own.
It’s a 10% to 25% rebate with a million-dollar cap that can be paired with the state’s rebate.
Cherokee Film says they won’t have economic impact stats finalized until this Spring, but they say that so far 10 movies have been filmed in Cherokee Nation using the Cherokee Film Incentive which was created in 2022.
“Through the rebate program, we’re getting people jobs, and that Native American representation matters behind the camera, but that also is going to show up in front of the camera with your directors and your actors and your writers and those people as well,” said Loren.
