Fort Worth Film Commission has a new program to help send local filmmakers to the Oscars
A new program from the Fort Worth Film Commission aims to help send filmmakers to the Oscars.
In April 2024, the Academy Awards’ Board of Governors added the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to its list of Oscar-qualifying areas. The D-FW region replaced Miami on the list that includes other qualifying areas such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and the Bay Area.
Now, the Fort Worth Film Commission has put together a premiere package that will help filmmakers qualify their short films for the annual awards show.
“This first-of-its-kind program allows emerging filmmakers to pursue their dreams while experiencing Fort Worth’s welcoming creative community,” film commissioner Taylor Hardy said in a news release. “Our city has quickly grown to become a top destination for filmmaking with initiatives that support all stages of the production process.”
What does the premiere package include?
Filmmakers will have access to several amenities with the package, including round trip airfare to Fort Worth, complementary hotel stays and a transportation stipend.
Other items include seven consecutive days of screenings for short films at Texas Movie Bistro, where the filmmaker will receive half of ticket sale profits. Per Academy rules, an Oscar-qualifying short film must screen for seven consecutive days with at least one screening a day.
During a film’s run, the package includes a red carpet premiere that comes with complimentary admission for guests and photo opportunities. For any special after-parties, a food and beverage credit will be provided at partner restaurants in the Stockyards.
Additionally, the Fort Worth Film Commission will promote the film’s premiere on social media and send alerts to local press. Filmmakers will also receive a digital package with screening laurels — logos celebrating a film’s festival program selection.
How do filmmakers apply for the package?
Interested filmmakers can apply for the package online here.
Entries for the package will be reviewed by a screening committee, chaired by Fort Worth native and Oscar-winning director Brandon Oldenburg, winner of the 2012 Best Animated Short Film Oscar for “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.”
“From childhood fantasies in my Fort Worth backyard, where home movies fueled my passion, I always knew I’d be a filmmaker,” Oldenburg said. “2011 brought that dream tantalizingly close. The reality of chasing Academy recognition, however, was a stark contrast: a complex, often hostile journey demanding endless effort and resources. That is, until now.”
Cowtown was well represented at this year’s Oscars, with two artists securing nominations.
Fort Worth native Greg Kwedar, now based in Austin, was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Sing Sing.” Current Fort Worthian Abraham Alexander was nominated for Best Original Song for “Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing.”
