San Antonio is rolling out the purple carpet for movie and business productions. On Thursday, November 6, the Metropolis Council permitted main updates to the native movie incentive program, creating what metropolis leaders are branding Texas’ most sturdy rebate package deal to lure filmmakers to Alamo Metropolis.
The revamped program, now referred to as the San Antonio Movie Incentive (SAFI), is run by the San Antonio Movie Fee and aligns with the Texas Transferring Picture Business Incentive Program (TMIIP), the state’s $1.5 billion funding in movie over the following decade. Mixed with statewide incentives, filmmakers can now qualify for as much as a forty five% rebate, capped at $250,000 per mission.
The objective is to draw high-profile productions, broaden native hiring, and provide skilled improvement alternatives for rising expertise, together with college students.
“At present’s approval marks a reinvigorated dedication to the way forward for movie, tv, and media in San Antonio,” stated Krystal Jones, Director of the Division of Arts & Tradition, in a launch. “With expanded eligibility and new workforce improvement alternatives, we’re empowering native artists, crew members, and rising expertise — together with college students — to participate in and profit from the exceptional progress of our movie business proper right here in San Antonio.”
Key updates to this system embrace:
Increased rebate ranges: Base rebates soar from 7.5% to 10%, with extra 2% uplifts for productions assembly native rent and veteran rent thresholds.Expanded eligibility: Industrial productions are actually included, alongside characteristic movies, shorts, documentaries, TV episodes, webisodes, and music movies.Workforce improvement necessities: Productions should present on-set studying experiences, workshops, or coaching for college kids by native school partnerships.
The incentives hope to construct on the momentum established prior to now few years. Since its post-pandemic restart in 2022, San Antonio has seen movie permits soar 165%, from 221 in 2022 to 586 in 2025, whereas whole movie days practically doubled to 710. With SAFI and TMIIP mixed, the Alamo Metropolis now provides probably the most beneficiant rebate in Texas, placing it on par with aggressive markets like New Mexico.
A few of these permits have put San Antonio within the nationwide highlight. In 2024, the Paramount+ collection 1923 filmed components of its second season downtown, becoming a member of an inventory of different notable Hollywood moments like Miss Congeniality, Selena, and Undone.
