There's more in San Antonio to excite filmmakers than you can shake a stick at. San Antonio is filled with what the city's film commission director, Drew Mayer-Oakes, calls "visual assets." Beauteous scenery is coupled with rich historic details in a convenient mélange. From the serene River Walk to the Hemisphere Tower or the grand Alamo, there is no shortage of aesthetic locales. And the list doesn't end there. Mayer-Oakes reveals filmmakers have also been attracted to the historic downtown and the mid-century suburbs. The historic downtown, in particular, has caught the comments of producers and cinematographers, as he's listened to their reviews: "Our downtown has a lot of texture... and it gives them a great variety and look to their film project."

Richard Linklater's The Newton Boys made use of San Antonio's textured, historical visual assets. Mayer-Oakes recalls the project: San Antonio served as the backdrop not only for cities in Texas during the early 1900s, but Canadian cities as well. "We were able to do that with our brick streets and our historic buildings, and also the ease of filming in our downtown." The numerous public departments - public works, parks, and police - are experienced in working with urban areas and film companies. "If you combine our locations with crew and equipment, it makes filming in San Antonio a really good choice."

Incentives to Change

New financial incentives instated in early June 2007 make filming in San Antonio even more appealing. The new Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program offers grants that cover five percent of in-state expenses. Additional savings can be received if more than 25 percent of production occurs in an underused area. A significant snag is additional requirements productions must meet to qualify. The most controversial of them is not that 80 percent of the film must be produced in Texas, but rather that a film may not qualify if its content depicts "Texas or Texans in a negative fashion." Controversy aside, the grants are highly competitive, especially when coupled with the existing no-tax policy that uses a waiver form instead of a rebate system.

It wouldn't seem possible for the changes to bear fruit for at least a few months. Yet the film office saw interest in the new incentives (or perhaps the hubbub associated with them) pick up almost instantly. "Visits to our website have gone up about 35 percent in the last month. And phone calls have increased by about the same percentage," reports Mayer-Oakes. The office is also scouting two feature films interested in filming during the fall.

Rising Stars

Talented filmmakers from the region are sure to enjoy the new incentives as well. San Antonio has proven itself to be a big enough city for both the large studio productions and the up-and-coming artisans growing into their craft. Films shot in San Antonio are turning heads. The Second Coming screened at the recent 2007 L.A. Film Festival. Director Ya'Ke Smith, a native of the river city, has received much praise for this film, including a Student Academy Award® nomination. August Evening, a film directed, written and produced by Chris Eska, was funded in part by Texas Film Production grants. The film drew attention at the festival, taking home a Target Filmmaker Award, an Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award for the ensemble cast, and garnering a theatrical distribution deal.

State of Competition

Creating new film incentives wasn't a new concept for Texas, as the state phased in tax exemptions for hotel accommodations and fuel, along with other incentives, more than ten years ago. Mayer-Oakes says the primary reason for new incentives is competition from other states, New Mexico and Louisiana specifically. Both states enacted new financial incentive programs in recent years, and the San Antonio film office reported seeing a change. There were films written for Texas and filmmakers who wanted to shoot in Texas that went elsewhere because it didn't make economic sense to come to the Lone Star State. "It was very important for Texas to get a new, more aggressive incentive to put us on the playing field with New Mexico and Louisiana," affirms Mayer-Oakes. "And now we have that." -MPM

San Antonio Exports:
Robert Rodriguez - The delightfully unconventional director (known for his quick production and low-budget, high-quality filmmaking style) of Once Upon a Time in Mexico and the Spy Kids trilogy co-directed the gritty Sin City with Quentin Tarantino, with whom he also collaborated to direct Grindhouse.

Carol Burnett - Comedienne of stage and screen ( small as well as big) known for her ruby red tresses will be one of many well-known actresses in The Last Guy on Earth.

Joan Crawford - A queen during Hollywood's Golden Age, she wowed audiences in more than 80 films, including Our Dancing Daughers, Autumn Leaves and A Woman's Face.

Tommy Lee Jones - Perhaps best known for pursuing The Fugitive and as one of the Men in Black, the Academy Award-winning actor leads audiences again in the upcoming Valley of Elah and Electric Mist.

Ricardo Chavira - The actor behind Carlos in Desperate Housewives has experienced huge studio films (The Alamo), while more recently slipping into indie films (Cosmic Radio, Rockaway).

Movies Made There:
Spy Kids (2001)
All the Pretty Horses (2000)
Miss Congeniality (2000)
The Newton Boys (1998)
Lolita (1997)
Selena (1997)
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
Sugarland Express (1974)