Light, camera, action!
Guthrie’s City Council held a workshop Tuesday night to discuss the feasibility of creating a City of Guthrie Film Production Revolving Loan Fund proposal to attract additional film activity to town.
“In the last two years, there have been 27 Oklahoma communities that have become certified filmfriendly,” City Manager Leroy Alsup said. “All 27 of them want our spot. They want to be the film capital of Oklahoma. Everybody is getting attention; it is competitive.”
Alsup told the City Council that creating a revolving loan fund offers an incentive for smaller films to be shot in Guthrie.
“Most of the film incentives are a one-time film rebate per qualified film,” he said. “It is a one-and-done. What we are trying to explore is creating a film production revolving loan fund to attract additional small-budget filming activity in Guthrie. The concept is for the loan funds to recycle. If we provide the gap in financing, we get the money back and it goes toward the next movie. It is not one-and-done.”
Alsup said Ben Richardson, an Oklahoma actor/producer/director with BRI Productions, has secured an exclusive deal with the executive management of Lifetime Television for the funding, sale and distribution of future films.
“Each film will be shot with a target budget of $300,000,” he said. “Each film would generate roughly 90 to 100 jobs while it is being filmed. At least 65% of each film will be shot within the city of Guthrie; local lodging would be used to house cast and crew members. Meals would be provided by local vendors.”
Alsup said the city has about $6 million in cash reserves to pay the $340,000 in gap funding.
“We would probably take a fourth out of each of our major cash reserves, and we would invest that money in two movies at a time,” he said.
“Once those films are completed, if we are happy, we can use the other half of the $340,000 available.
Alsup said having films shot locally also provides opportunities for graduates of the First Capital Film Institute.
“By having these small films in Guthrie, it will provide opportunities for internships with these individuals to start at a lower level and work their way up,” Alsup said. “Not only will we be providing filming jobs with economic impact, but we will be investing in the workforce infrastructure in the state of Oklahoma.”