Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program
A division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) first implemented its Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program in 2010 hosting statewide workshops across all Oklahoma Countries (designated by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department) to educate and assist communities with readying themselves for incoming film and television productions. These workshops have proven to be successful in providing information on best practices when working with film and television productions as well as identifying Oklahoma communities who are eager to recruit such business to their areas.
While we’re proud to continue offering our educational workshops throughout the state, our new Oklahoma Film Friendly Community certification program will help communities develop the necessary permits and protocol to address film and television production in their areas. It is our goal to establish certified Film Friendly communities in all 77 Oklahoma counties that can assist film and television production companies on a local level, so that everyone who chooses may be represented in this booming industry. As such, these certified communities will work with OF+MO and their city leadership to establish a designated film liaison in their areas, as well as infrastructure and permits, which will better serve their areas and the film industry for years to come.
Those interested in receiving official designation from OF+MO as a certified Oklahoma Film Friendly Community may apply by contacting the office after reviewing the requirements detailed in the below handbook.
Interested parties can also request a Film Friendly workshop by contacting Yousef Kazemi, Outreach + Production Manager, at Yousef.Kazemi@OKCommerce.gov.
Please follow us on social media (@okfilmmusic) or subscribe here to our e-blasts and monthly newsletter for more information on upcoming OF+MO events and when we may be in your community.
- COMMUNITY SURVEY
- SHARE YOUR LOCATION
- FILM PERMIT SAMPLE
- LOCATION AGREEMENT SAMPLE
- LOCAL FILM OFFICES
- CERTIFIED FILM FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES
- APPLY NOW FOR CERTIFICATION
Have you taken OF+MO’s community survey? Film and television production can often bring valuable economic impact and marketing visibility when filming on-location, and we would love for your community to be represented as we move forward in expanding our Film Friendly page to highlight all statewide communities.
Click here for a list of community responses previously received.
The importance of having your community’s locations represented in the Oklahoma Locations Directory is essential to becoming a certified Oklahoma Film Friendly Community and marketing your area as a viable option for film and television production in the state. If you’re ready to upload your locations in your area, click the link below to create your location profile and directly upload your photos to the Oklahoma Locations Directory.
Having a film permit will help bring crucial infrastructure and process to your city, which will better serve your community as Oklahoma’s film and television industry continues to grow. For example, larger film productions may wish to close a street a certain time, change signage on buildings or bring a large number of production vehicles or extras to a city business or residential area. This may require additional permissions from the police or fire chief, city manager or parks department. Smaller productions such as docu-series may simply want to get b-roll (scenic imagery) of your downtown or parks without interrupting day-to-day activities.
A locations permit will not only provide a method to record all logistical intake information, but also additional details related to production insurance, location fees (if applicable) and more. In some cases, a production may also have a locations agreement in which they want a representative from the city to sign-off/authenticate. This is industry standard and should be reviewed by the city’s legal department before signing. Click here for example of a location permit.
Location contracts explaining the details of the shoot, including the agreed-upon location fees, liability insurance (covered by production) and how damage will be addressed should any occur (a rarity, but important to note as should be covered by production), are entered into by the location’s manager or film producer and the property owner. In some cases, a locations contract may need to be approved by your community or city leadership.
Cherokee Nation Film Office
Phone: (918) 384-7478
Email: hello@cherokee.film
Website: cherokee.film
El Reno TV & Film Commission
Phone: (405) 262-4070 / (405) 262-9618
Email: info@ertvfilm.org
Website: ertvfilm.org
Shawnee Film and Music Office
Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture
Email: filmandmusic@visittulsa.com
Website: TulsaFMAC.com
City of Ada
Angie Stout
Assistant City Manager, City of Ada
Phone: (580) 421-3223
Email: Angie.Stout@adaok.com
Website: adaok.com
City of Bartlesville
Maria Swindell Gus
Executive Director, Bartlesville Convention & Visitors Bureau
Phone: (918) 336-8709
Email: msgus@bartlesville.com
Website: visitbartlesville.com
City of Bethany
Amanda McCellon
Director of Planning & Community Development, City of Bethany
Phone: (405) 789-6005
Email: Amanda.McCellon@BethanyOK.org
Website: cityofbethany.org
City of Broken Arrow
Lori Hill
Tourism Director, Broken Arrow Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Phone: (918) 259-2400 ext. 5428
Email: lhill@brokenarrowok.gov
City of Chickasha
Jim Cowan
Director, Chickasha Economic Development Council
Phone: (405) 210-4713
Email: jim@chickashaedc.com
Website: chickashaedc.com
City of Davis
Davis Chamber of Commerce
Phone: (580) 369-2402
Email: davischamber@davisok.org
Website: davisok.org
City of Duncan
Teri Knox
Director, Duncan Convention & Visitors Bureau
Director, Simmons Center Convention & Theatre
Phone: 580-252-2900 Ext. 238 / 580-251-0758
Email: teri@simmonscenter.com
City of Edmond
Special Events Coordinator, City of Edmond
Phone: (405) 359-4580
Email: Sarah.London@EdmondOK.com
City of El Reno
Steve Maddox
Community Liaison, El Reno TV & Film Commission
Phone: (405) 262-4070 / (405) 262-9618
Email: info@ertvfilm.org
Website: ertvfilm.org
City of Enid
Rob Houston
Director, Visit Enid
Phone: (580) 616-7369
Email: Rob@VisitEnid.org
Website: visitenid.org
City of Grove
Donnie Crain
President, Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
Phone: (918) 786-9079 – office / (918) 964-6867 – cell
Email: dcrain@cityofgroveok.gov
City of Guthrie
Justin Fortney
Tourism Director, City of Guthrie
Phone: (405) 820-5686
Email: jfortney@cityofguthrie.com
Website: filmingguthrie.com
City of Lawton
Jason Poudrier
Arts & Humanities Administrator, City of Lawton
Phone: (580) 581-3470
Email: jason.poudrier@lawtonok.gov
Website: lawtonok.gov/lawton-arts-humanities-council
City of Muskogee
Jordyn Jorgenson
Executive Director, Visit Muskogee
Phone: (918) 684-6202
Email: jordyn@visitmuskogee.com
Website: visitmuskogee.com
City of Nowata
Executive Director, Nowata Area Chamber of Commerce
Phone: (918) 273-2301
Email: chamber@nowata.com
City of Okmulgee
Heather Sumner
Director, Okmulgee Main Street
Phone: (918) 758-1015
Email: okmulgeemainstreetinc@yahoo.com
City of Pawnee
Alice Cottle
Mayor, City of Pawnee
Phone: (918) 762-2658
Email: mayor@cityofpawnee.org
Website: cityofpawnee.org
City of Seminole
Briana Wymore
Public Information Officer, City of Seminole
Phone: (405) 382-4330 ext. 112
Email: briana@seminole-oklahoma.net
Website: seminole-oklahoma.net/film
City of Shawnee
Phone: (405) 275-9780 / (405) 317-1993
Email: Stacy.Moore@shawneeok.org
Website: shawnee.info/film
City of Tulsa
Abby Kurin
Executive Director, Tulsa Office of Film, Music Arts & Culture
Phone: (918) 560-0206
Email: filmandmusic@visittulsa.com
Website: TulsaFMAC.com
City of Weatherford
Yolanda Creswell
Executive Development Director, City of Weatherford
Phone: (580) 774-4505
Email: Yolanda.Creswell@cityofweatherford.com
Website: cityofweatherford.com
City of Woodward
Rachael Van Horn
Executive Director, Woodward Convention & Visitors Bureau
Phone: (580) 256-9990
Email: rvanhorn@cityofwoodward-ok.gov
Website: visitwoodward.com