McAllen is ready for its closeup!
The McAllen Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation is betting that the city’s next big economic opportunity might come with a camera crew, as it has recently been designated as a Film Friendly Certified Community by the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office.
This designation opens up a world of on-and-off camera opportunities, from pitching local landmarks as potential filming locations to achieving greater visibility in industry networks across the state and beyond.
To earn the certification, the city appointed a community liaison — the Convention Center Visitors Bureau — and Leah Wooldridge, vice president of Visit McAllen, who attended a state-led workshop where she was trained on how to work with film industry professionals and make McAllen production-ready.
And according to Wooldridge, McAllen is definitely “ready to go.”
She explained the city decided to pursue this certification, in addition to its designation as a music-friendly community, to get the word out to location scouts, production companies and filmmakers across Texas about McAllen’s screen-ready potential.
“We’ve got a lot of creativity here in McAllen,” said Wooldridge.
And filming locations too, she added. During the certification process, the visitors bureau uploaded photos of different spots around the city to the Film Commission Database for filmmakers to peruse as potential settings for productions.
Wooldridge said they submitted the convention center, performing arts center, creative incubator and downtown as just a few potential locations, but emphasized that the database is “ever-evolving.”
Community members are encouraged to submit their pieces of property, buildings, or storefronts they feel have camera-potential to Visit McAllen to be added to the database as well.
People often assume film locations need to be “pristine or perfect,” but Wooldridge is reminding the community that this is not always the case.
“They might be looking for an old warehouse, or something industrial,” she said. “They might even be looking for something a little more agricultural.”
According to Wooldridge, McAllen is positioned as quite the attractive filming location compared to other Texas communities because of its diverse selection of potential filming backdrops. From modern architecture to timeless orchards — the city has a little bit of everything.
And, on top of that, the year-round warm weather and affordability offers flexibility and incentive for production companies to shoot their movies, commercials, and TV shows here, she says.
The certification also offers new opportunities for local filmmakers. Wooldridge explained it provides them with more of a “streamlined process” when working on new projects.
The visitors bureau will help them scout locations, navigate city permits, and connect them with essential resources like catering companies, construction crews, or anything else they need to bring their vision to life in McAllen.
“We can help put them in touch with the right people,” said Wooldridge. “We are a resource to our local filmmakers, as well as those that are coming around the state.”
She foresees out-of-state production companies having a “unique” positive economic impact on tourism in McAllen as crews visit for shoots, stay in local hotels and eat at local restaurants.
“It’s a great opportunity for McAllen to get seen by people who may have never heard of us before,” Wooldridge said.
Now that they’ve successfully earned the designation, Wooldridge says their top priority moving forward is ensuring they spread the word across the state. Senators, representatives, and the governor have already chimed into the conversation.
“Congratulations to the City of McAllen on joining more than 200 Film Friendly Texas Certified Communities,” said Gov. Greg Abbott.
“I applaud the leadership of Mayor Villalobos and the McAllen City Commission, and I appreciate the dedication of city staff in earning the Film Friendly Texas Certified Community designation,” said state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.
“McAllen’s Film Friendly Texas designation reflects the city’s growing reputation as a place where creativity, culture, and economic opportunity thrive together,” said state Rep. Bobby Guerra.
With this new certification, Wooldridge hopes to show the world that McAllen is a great place for stories to be told.