Kyle now a Film Friendly Texas city

Resurrection, Summer League, The Lights, The Quantum Leap... what do these film titles have in common? They were all filmed, at least partially, in Kyle!

The Texas Film Commission announced Feb. 26 that Kyle is now a Film Friendly Texas town. But what does that really mean? 

Economic Development Director Diana Blank-Torres said becoming a film- friendly city, a designation by the Texas Film Commission, is a good thing.

“This designation means more production firms, directors and producers will know about Kyle and all it has to offer,” she said.

From quaint downtown scenes to the hubbub of activity near Kyle Crossing to rural landscapes, Kyle has a variety of locales that appeal to film makers.

Blank-Torres said the commission promotes designated cities to the film industry.

“The certification informs potential productions that Kyle is ready to do business,” she said. “Part of being ready is having film guidelines in place, recognizing the needs of the production industry while protecting the interests of our community.”

She added that films bring jobs and money to our community.   

“There is an economic impact when crews come to your community—they spend money,” Blank-Torres said. “It can be anything from hotel rooms to eating at restaurants, car rentals, internet providers, hospitals, local electrical contractors and dry cleaners. Crews also shop for groceries, ice, water, lumber, makeup and wardrobes.”

She said the city paid a nominal fee to attend an introductory workshop to kick off the process. In addition, a member of the commission took dozens of photos of the area for the TEXScout website, free of charge. Those will help film production firms when they select locations for shooting.

What can the city expect now that it’s listed as film friendly?

Blank-Torres said the listing offers Kyle greater exposure.

“Being a Film Friendly Texas city will put our information out to production firms in a way that we wouldn’t necessarily be able to do on our own,” she said. “The film commission promotes statewide locations and they assist in packaging information to anyone interested in filming in Kyle.”

Though no films have yet requested a permit for 2016, Blank-Torres said that might be because film crews that want to shoot here didn’t need anything from the city, such as street closures, police presence, etc.

“We believe this designation will be a benefit to Kyle,” she said.