New Fort Worth production company wants to help filmmakers make movies in Texas
A new Fort Worth production company wants to make more movies in Texas.
Texas lawmakers passed a bill last year injecting $1.5 billion into the state’s film incentive program over the next decade. Film incentives are essentially tax credits that motivate film and television productions to work in certain states.
The rejuvenated incentives are key to what Tomik Mansoori wants to do at the recently launched Revival Films.
Mansoori, 41, has been producing films for over a decade. He said he aims to be the guy on the ground for projects looking to film in Texas. Whether it’s providing crew members, pointing productions where to rent equipment or finding local casting directors, Revival’s goal is to be a supporter.
“Revival Films wants to shepherd filmmakers who want to come to Texas and need somebody to be able to take that project from start to finish,” Mansoori told the Star-Telegram in a phone interview.
Part of that shepherding includes helping filmmakers decipher the film incentive program, Mansoori said.
In addition to the base incentive rate, there are several additional grants available. There’s a grant for hiring veterans, one for projects promoting family values, another for filming in rural areas and many more.
“You can’t just come out here and shoot anything and get that money,” Mansoori said.
Los Angeles native sets up shop in Fort Worth
Born in Iran, Mansoori’s family left the country when he was 2 years old and settled in Germany for a few years.
When he was 5, the Mansoori family moved to the U.S. and lived in Burbank, which is just a stone’s throw from Los Angeles. Growing up in Hollywood, most people Mansoori knew worked in the film industry, including his high school classmate actress Blake Lively.
Mansoori himself went in front of the camera as a child, appearing in a slew of commercials for Allstate Insurance. As he grew older, Mansoori stepped back from acting and moved into the nightclub space.
From there, he transitioned into event production and counted Paris Hilton as a client once upon a time.
“We [did] her holiday party and stuff like that,” Mansoori said.
After hitting a wall with event production, Mansoori was looking for a change and found one when a friend called for his help on a film he was making.
Mansoori agreed, despite the fact that he never envisioned himself as a filmmaker. Sure, he enjoyed being in the entertainment space, but movie making is different.
The move turned out to be a watershed moment for Mansoori, who caught the bug.
“From being an actor to being a producer, I’ve always had a love for being on set,” Mansoori said. “It’s the most magical place in the world for me.”
Revival Films two steps into Fort Worth
Before he launched Revival, Mansoori worked at Silver Sail Entertainment for over a decade.
The company, founded by Tanner Beard, moved to Fort Worth from Los Angeles last year. Mansoori said the move came as it grew increasingly harder, and more expensive, for independent filmmakers to make films in the Golden State.
Having produced a few films in Texas over the last few years like “Daisy” and “Blood Behind Us,” Mansoori and Beard agreed that it was time to shift to the Lone Star State.
“The people are great, the food is fantastic, the cost of living is lower and the cost of production is lower,” Mansoori said. “It’s a no-brainer.”
Just over a year after moving to Fort Worth, Mansoori said it was time for him to chart his own path with Revival Films.
The company’s motto is “where bold stories begin,” and Mansoori wants to see that through by making movies that move audiences. Whether it's a comedy or faith-based drama, the message has to resonate with people.
Revival is developing a few projects at the moment, including a comedy called “Broadway Bunnies,” which is a mockumentary about a bachelorette trip to Nashville. The plan is to shoot a majority of the film in Texas, with additional photography in Tennessee.
Mansoori sees this is as a positive of the new film incentives, in that it’s luring an outside story to Texas. This is an inverse of how things usually go, such as Taylor Sheridan’s “Hell or High Water” being set in West Texas but made in New Mexico or Netflix’s “Hunting Wives” shooting in North Carolina while taking place in East Texas.
“It’s all coming this way,” Mansoori said.
Making movies in Texas
By next spring, Mansoori hopes to be wrapped on one film and in production on a couple more.
Furthermore, he hopes to see the company grow and become a “beacon of light” for filmmakers looking to shoot in Texas. As more creatives move to the state, the projects will come.
Since Revival launched last month, Mansoori said he’s been overwhelmed by the number of people reaching out to him saying they’re open to collaboration.
Now it’s time to get to work.
“I’m really excited to see what comes to Fort Worth,” Mansoori said. “What we can do different and add value to this town that we love so much.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 9:33 AM.
