COURTESY OF LIZ CARDENAS
MOVIEMAKER.COM WINTER 2019 71Cardenas adds that going the extra mile on
Never Goin’ Back meant a business allowing
them to shoot at their location for free or at a
discount in exchange for “letting their kid be
an extra in the movie.”
Another group to watch in Dallas is the en-
tertainment company Cinestate, which bought
horror brand Fangoria in 2018 and is building
a new movie brand with a reimagining of the
Puppet Master franchise, among other things.
They recently wrapped on horror feature
Satanic Panic, with Blumhouse alum
Chelsea Stardust directing. “In terms of
bang for your buck, there’s no better place to
make a movie than Dallas,” says Cinestate VP
Amanda Presmyk. “We’re able to stretch every
dollar to make a movie that looks beyond its
budget because of our home-field advantage.”
She adds that having a talented crew base
went a long way to achieving their mutual
goal: “Satanic Panic’s budget was under a
million and it’s a perfect example of what
we’re building with Cinestate/Fangoria. We
want to satisfy audiences who crave entertain-
ing, boundary-pushing movies and we believe
awesome movies don’t have to cost a fortune.”18
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Back in September visionary direc-
tor Darren Aronofsky and French
artist JR teamed up to create art where you
might least expect it: projected onto the
exterior of San Francisco’s City Hall. A black
and white film clip of a group of people
silently turning their heads, the film, entitled
The Standing March, was intended to remind
governments that the people are “watching”
them on the subject of climate change. The
projected film also served as publicity for the
Global Climate Action Summit, which took
place in San Francisco around the same time.
Earlier in the summer the Netflix comedyAlways Be My Maybe, starring Ali Wong
and Keanu Reeves, took over San Francisco’s
Richmond District and was said to be shoot-
ing at the Fairmont Hotel, Golden Gate Park,
the Palace of Fine Arts and other iconic SF
locations. Around the same time in the Bay
Area, Brad Pitt’s Plan B shingle and A24 (two
entities that collaborated on Moonlight) began
filming The Last Black Man in San Francisco,
a drama about race and gentrification with
Danny Glover and Thora Birch. In October
another Netflix production, the 10-part
LGBTQ-themed drama miniseries
Tales of the City filmed in the streets of SF
and will debut sometime in 2019.19
HOUSTON, TEXAS
With the Texas Moving Image
Industry Incentive Program having
been whittled down to $22 million in 2017, the
state isn’t doing much to promote Houston’s
ambitions of being a top film production
player. Not that Houston’s residents are wait-
ing around; the spirit of DIY moviemaking is
strong here. The city also has a film-positive
Mayor, Sylvester Turner, who last year hosted a
Film and Entertainment Summit with the goal
of luring Hollywood players to Houston. More
green shoots: The Sam Houston Southwest
Film Investment Fund pledged last year to
build six studio lots and production offices in
the Houston area before 2020. Then there’s
Houston’s population of working indie movie-
makers who swear by their city.
“I live in Houston, and from the start I
wanted my script to showcase the hometown
that I love,” says writer-director Scott Brignac
about his feature debut, Playing God, which
shot over the summer. “Houston has a charm
and personality that’s underrated. It’s a huge
city with many locations and everyone is wel-
coming to moviemakers. I couldn’t have askedfor a better place to shoot my first feature.
One of my favorite days on set was shooting
on a rooftop with Michael McKean and
Alan Tudyk—I loved every minute of it, the
energy of the city, the vibe and the architec-
ture, and then to watch them deliver great
performances, mixed with the backdrop of
downtown Houston was honestly magical.”20
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Spanish-speaking settlers first
grouped around the San Antonio
River in 1718, establishing a mission and a
fort. The city that’s evolved over 300 years
is a dense tapestry of Mexican-American, as
well as German and other immigrant group
influences and a cultural treasure all its own.
Along the banks of the San Antonio River to-
day you’ll find the River Walk, a city park with
a network of walkways linking restaurants,
historic Spanish missions and art installa-
tions, all testifying to centuries of history.
The city’s spirit of steady, constant improve-
ment is reflected in its Film Commission,
which is known as a reliable resource, able
to secure permits, access and resources for
moviemakers, and currently a year and a
half into the San Antonio Film Commission
Strategic Plan, a five-year blueprint adopted
in 2017 to turn San Antonio into a thriving
film production hub. (The city provides a
local supplement for qualified productions,
7.5 percent on top of the state tax credit). We
asked San Antonio Film and Music Commis-
sioner Krystal Jones for an update on what
had been accomplished since the plan was
implemented:
“Once it passed, The San Antonio Film
Commission immediately began implement-
ing the strategic plan, developing more user-
friendly online resources, a free and turnkey
film permit process, and providing access to
city brands and locations,” Jones says. “With
increased marketing highlighting the plan and
our message of San Antonio as a film-friendly
city, a very successful 2018 included two
projects qualifying for our local incentive, an
increase in film projects and film days, film
being a component in our city’s tricentennial
celebration, and workshops and grants pro-
vided to moviemakers.” She adds that the plan
is ongoing, with an open door for partner-
ships as the Film Commission continues to act
as “an extension of production teams and an
advocate for the film community.”« STAR MAIA MITCHELL (C) AND THE CREW OF THE
SPIRIT AWARD-NOMINATED INDIE NEVER GOIN’ BACK
FILM ON THEIR DALLAS-BOUND SET