Fort Worth Film Commission Launches A New Package to Help North Texas Filmmakers Qualify For An Academy Award

Fort Worth has long been a launching pad for music legends, but local singer-songwriter Abraham Alexander’s Academy Award nomination for “Like a Bird” (along with writer-director of Sing Sing, Greg Kwedar) marks a significant moment for the city’s creative community. An Oscar nomination can be a career-defining moment for musicians, actors, and filmmakers. Lesser-known films, such as Whiplash and Parasite, gained widespread recognition after earning a nod from the Academy.

Until recently, Dallas and Fort Worth were not among the cities eligible to host Oscar-qualifying screenings. That changed last year when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences designated the metroplex as an official Oscar-qualifying region, replacing Miami as one of only six cities in the U.S. with this status.

Fort Worth Film Commissioner Taylor Hardy says her team has been working to get the word out on North Texas’ new status. Her film commission recently launched a first-of-its-kind program, the Fort Worth Premiere Package, which is designed to help filmmakers qualify their short films for the Oscars while experiencing all that Fort Worth has to offer.

Helping Filmmakers on the Road to the Oscars

At the Premiere Package’s recent launch event, dozens of filmmakers packed the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s lobby. Special guests, including Academy Award-winner Brandon Oldenburg and film festival strategist Rebekah Smith, were on hand to speak to attendees and explain the Oscar-qualifying process in depth.

Throughout the year, Oldenburg and the Premiere Package screening panel will review short film submissions. Four winners per year will win a seven-day theatrical screening at Texas Movie Bistro, a red-carpet premiere, travel and accommodations, and promotional support — all designed to meet the Academy’s eligibility requirements. Selected filmmakers will also receive VIP treatment, including an after-party celebration and a guided tour of Fort Worth.

Hardy says several filmmakers have already submitted short films, and the film commission expects to announce the first winner by this summer.

“We want Fort Worth to be a resource and to help people,” Hardy tells PaperCity. “Our theater partner Texas Movie Bistro is offering to do free qualifying screenings for anyone, even if they are not selected for our Premiere Package. The cost for these theaters can be considerable, and a lot of the screenings that happen in L.A. are in empty theaters. We’re offering free tickets for the premiere. We are going to discuss the film through Q&As. We make these filmmakers feel special.”

By hosting four filmmakers a year under the new program, Hardy says Fort Worth is taking a leading role in supporting independent cinema and fostering an already vibrant local film community.

“The shortlist comes out in December,” Hardy adds. “We’d love to see a film that premiered in Fort Worth make the shortlist, earn a nomination, or even take home an Academy Award.”

Fort Worth’s Growing Reputation as a Film Hub

The new program launches at a time when Fort Worth native Taylor Sheridan’s Landman has become the most-viewed original series on Paramount, reinforcing the city’s growing influence in film and television. Sheridan’s productions continue to set new records, with the 1923 Season 2 premiere drawing an impressive 5.4 million viewers — more than doubling the first season’s debut.

With Fort Worth serving as a backdrop and creative home for major productions, including yet-to-be-released The Madison, Hardy says millions of people now follow and visit Fort Worth due to the many shows that are filmed here.

“Taylor Sheridan is introducing audiences to the city,” Hardy says. “We’re seeing that viewers are twice as likely to want to book a trip to Fort Worth. Now our status as Oscar-qualifying is just another way of reaching audiences and letting them know how great our city is.”