Cedar Hill Earns Film Friendly Community Certification

CEDAR HILL, Texas, November 10, 2010 – Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation announced at yesterday’s City Council meeting that it has gained certification as a Certified Film Friendly Community through the Texas Film Commission (TFC). The certification provides a way for communities without an established film commission to market and promote their locations more predominantly within the film industry by partnering with the Texas Film Commission. 

Deputy Director of the Texas Film Commission, Carol Pirie said, “I’m delighted to welcome Cedar Hill as Texas’ newest certified Film Friendly Texas community. Michaela Dollar has done a great job in making this happen, and it’s coming at a great time. Just over the past year, there’s been a great increase in filming activity in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The staff of the Texas Film Commission will be glad to refer filmmakers to Cedar Hill locations, and we know they’ll have a great experience in Cedar Hill.” 

“We wanted to become a Certified Film Friendly Community in order to further promote Cedar Hill as a destination to the film industry,” said Cedar Hill Economic Development Corp. Director Allison Thompson. “When filming takes place in your city, it can be a huge economic stimulator because it can bring jobs and increase sales tax.” 

In order to gain certification, communities must develop a film policy and have it approved by the TFC, attend a workshop to learn about the production process and best practices for working with the film industry, and submit location photos to be used in the state’s online location database, TexScout. Cedar Hill met all of these guidelines and received its official certificate earlier this week. 

According City Manager Alan Sims, “We’ve been open to filming and have even had things taped here in the past, but this was an opportunity for us to formally adopt a policy and promote ourselves on an even grander scale.” 

The Cedar Hill Film Policy and information on film locations in Cedar Hill can be found at www.CedarHillEDC.com. For more information, you can also contact Michaela Dollar at 972-291-5132 ext. 2 or [email protected].