Tulsa Launches County Film Recovery Program

The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (Tulsa FMAC) announces the Tulsa County Film Recovery Program, a program dedicated to driving an economic boost through film production, mitigating COVID-19 risk on-set, and providing education opportunities for film crew to return to work safely. The $90,000 recovery program is made possible through Tulsa County CARES Act funding.
“Prior to the pandemic, the Tulsa film industry was skyrocketing. It grew from 11 film productions in 2017 to 32 in 2019 – a whopping 190% increase over a two-year period!  These 32 productions pumped money into the Tulsa economy and resulted in more than 3,000 hotel room nights.” said Wendy Drummond, chair of Tulsa FMAC. “We’re extremely grateful Tulsa County Commissioners granted use of these funds focused on the film industry.”
The Tulsa County Film Recovery Program is available to production companies on a first-come, first-served basis. Each production that applies is eligible for up to $20,000 based on the percentage of local crew hired, booked lodging at a Tulsa County area hotel, direct spend in Tulsa County, and other qualified expenditures. All funds must be used to offset production costs related to COVID-19 spending in Tulsa County, must be incurred and spent between August 2020 through December 30, 2020.
“One of the main priorities of the Tulsa County CARES program, from the very beginning, has been to help industries survive the pandemic,” said Tulsa County Commissioner Ron Peters. “Small business support is at the heart of our mission, and Tulsa’s film industry represents local small businesses while simultaneously attracting significant investment from outside our state. We’re proud to partner with the Tulsa FMAC to provide funding to nurture this growing industry.”
Abby Kurin, executive director of Tulsa FMAC, said “We identified immediate needs for our industry by working with members of the local film industry through the Tulsa Film Task Force, which resulted in the Tulsa County Film Recovery Program. We must sustain our film crew during this time, and start to again cycle those dollars back into our local economy. The direct result of this will be positive economic impact and direct spend in Tulsa County.”
“Tulsa Regional Tourism is dedicated to the recovery efforts of all the industries we work with. It’s imperative that we support our film industry, which has gained so much traction in recent years,” said Ray Hoyt, president of Tulsa Regional Tourism. “This unique program will highlight Tulsa as a safe film destination, and helps tell Tulsa’s story on an international stage.”
To submit via the Tulsa County Film Recovery Program Application, visit: Click Here
For more information on Tulsa County CARES Act Funding and Programs, visit https://tulsacountycares.org
 
About the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (FMAC)
Tulsa FMAC is the only city film commission accredited through the Association of Film Commissioners International. The mission of Tulsa FMAC is to develop and connect resources to further grow and enhance northeast Oklahoma’s creative industries, including film, music and the arts, all while promoting Tulsa as a creative hub and cultural destination. Tulsa FMAC is housed at the Tulsa Regional Chamber under Tulsa Regional Tourism, which also includes the Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Tulsa Sports Commission.www.tulsafmac.com.