INCENTIVES & GRANTS

Along with Austin's great crews and diverse locations, we also have two competitive incentive programs available to productions that film locally through both The State of Texas and the City of Austin. In addition to incentives, there are a number of money saving tax exemptions available to productions working in the state, as well as a generous grant program for Texas filmmakers.
 

STATE PRODUCTION INCENTIVES

TEXAS MOVING IMAGE INDUSTRY INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Administered by the Texas Film Commission, the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) gives qualifying feature film, television and commercial productions the opportunity to receive a cash grant of up to 22.5% back, based on a percentage of a project’s eligible Texas expenditures, including eligible wages paid to Texas residents. Qualified labor includes up to the first $1 million of each Texas resident.

The incentive has three tiers based on in-state spend:  

• 5% for $250,000 - $1 million
• 10% for $1 million - $3.5 million
• 20% for $3.5 million & up

Projects may be eligible for a single additional grant equal to 2.5% of total in-state spending. If applying for an additional Grant Award, the selection must be made on the project application (not retroactively) for one of the following additional Grant Award options:

• Underutilized / Economically Distressed Areas
• Veteran Percentage
• Postproduction

As noted, the incentive is based on wages, invoices and petty cash. There is no cap but the following criteria must be met:

• 55% of paid crew and 55% of paid cast (including extras) must be Texas residents.
• 60% of total production days must be completed in Texas.

An application package must be received by the Texas Film Commission no earlier than 180 days and no later than 5 PM Central Time 5 business days prior to the first day of principal photography.

For questions and additional information, please contact the Texas Film Commission:
filmincentive@gov.texas.gov
512-463-9200
 

CITY PRODUCTION INCENTIVES

AUSTIN CREATIVE CONTENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Administered by the City of Austin – Economic Development Department, the Austin Creative Content Incentive Program offers incentives of up to 0.75% to qualifying film and television productions made in the City of Austin.

• 0.50% of wages paid to local residents (Austin Metro Area).
• 0.25% if the project is produced by Austin-based company or promotes Austin.

For questions and additional information, please contact:
Haileigh Meyers
Haileigh.Meyers@austintexas.gov
512-974-2254
 

STATE OF TEXAS TAX EXEMPTIONS & REFUNDS

SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS
Production companies may use tax exemption on items rented or purchased for direct use in the production of a motion picture, television and commercial project.

HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX EXEMPTIONS
Refund on the hotel occupancy tax for hotel rooms occupied for at least 30 consecutive days. The Hotel must be notified at check-in for the tax to be waived at checkout.

TAX REFUNDS ON FUELS USED OFF ROAD
Refund of taxes paid on gasoline used for off-road machines like generators, boats and tractors.
 

CITY OF AUSTIN SOFT INCENTIVES

FAST PERMIT APPLICATIONS
The City of Austin permit application is a low cost fee to film on public properties like Roadways, Sidewalks, Alleys and Parks. There can be incurred costs to filming on those areas for example: if police assistance is needed, pyrotechnics, parking meters need to be reserved or a traffic engineering plan is required for a closure. Right of Way permits generally have a 3-5 day turnaround and Parks have a 7-14 day turnaround.

FILM FRIENDLY POLICE
City of Austin Ordinance 20080306-038 states that the City of Austin will provide productions spending over a million dollars in Austin with up to two police officers - free of charge - for traffic control and other public safety issues, subject to certain requirements and limitations. Any film or television production receiving a benefit under this ordinance shall place a credit on each film or television episode providing: "Thank you to the City of Austin for its generous support of this production. Filmed on location in Austin, Texas, U.S.A.", or a similar statement.

PROFESSIONAL CREW
Austin has been production hub since the 1970s with a local, experienced crew base and talent. We are multiple crew deep and our production professionals have the technical expertise to always bring productions in on-time, on-budget and as the director envisioned. 

DIVERSE LOCATIONS
Austin is home to many unique terrains—from lakes to farmland to hill country—all within 45 minutes of downtown allowing for easy company moves and a cost savings.

VENDORS
Austin-based rental houses can supply your production with the latest industry standard equipment. No need to pay expensive shipping fees when our local camera, grip and lighting vendors have everything you need in stock. Austin is also home to dolly, crane, trailer, honeywagon, picture car suppliers and more! Find the local vendors for your production needs in the Austin Film Commission Production Directory.

FACILITIES
Austin is home to a number of studio facilities, providing both small commercial spaces and large-scale soundstages. Most facilities are conveniently located and ready to house your next shoot. Each complex offers a range of stage sizes, cyc walls, office spaces, support services and other amenities to meet your shooting needs. There are also a number of Post-Production facilities in Austin—so you can sound mix, color grade, add motion graphics and picture lock your production without leaving the city limits.

WEATHER
Need to film a commercial with a green backdrop in January? No problem! Austin generally sees over 300 Days of sunshine each year, which means productions will rarely lose a day of filming due to weather.

LODGING, TRAVEL & CULTURE
Austin offers cast and crew a great home away from home with premiere hotel accommodations. Austin has great culture with famous cuisine, live music, and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere - plus over 30 unique film festivals yearly and media production resources! Austin-Bergstrom International Airport makes travel easy with direct flights to and from London, Los Angeles, New York, Hawaii, Toronto, Mexico City and more.
 

PRODUCTION GRANTS

AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY GRANT
The Austin Film Society annually awards grants to emerging film and video artists in the state of Texas through the AFS Grant Program. Since 1996, $1.6 million in cash has been given to over 421 film projects. In addition to grants for production, post-production and distribution, AFS also provides stipends to filmmakers traveling to film festivals through their Travel Grant program.

The Texas Film Commission keeps an amazing up-to-date list of national grants and scholarships for film, television and screenwriting available for filmmakers.
 

DISCOUNTS

VISIT AUSTIN INSIDER DEALS
Check out Austin businesses with special discount offers available for cast and crew.
 

FESTIVAL & ARTS GRANTS

CITY OF AUSTIN CULTURAL FUNDING GRANT
The City of Austin provides cultural arts programs for the Austin community by contracting with arts organizations for specific services. These contracts are referred to as Cultural Services Agreements, or Cultural Contracts, which can be applied for by events like film festivals.