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Local filmmakers ask Spokane County to explore a regional film office and funding
Summary
Speakers at the county's public forum urged commissioners, the mayor's office and city council to meet with Visit Spokane to consider forming a Spokane Regional Film Office; presenters gave a petition and argued the industry could bring economic returns.
Representatives of Spokane's film community asked Spokane County commissioners to join a regional effort to create a Spokane Regional Film Office and explore funding options to promote film, television and commercial production in the region.
Tom Deneen, speaking for the Spokane Film Project, said the nonprofit seeks to grow the digital-media industry through education, networking and advocacy. "Our community can become a thriving television and commercial production hub," Deneen said, and he urged the mayor's office, city council and county commissioners to meet with Visit Spokane to discuss creating a regional film office. Deneen provided board members with a petition containing 215 signatures and referenced a slide deck sent to commissioners earlier in the day.
Mary Ann Murphy, a longtime local film organizer and widow of filmmaker Robert Glatzer, spoke in support of the idea and noted Spokane's production history. "The economic case for supporting film production doesn't have any downside, really," Murphy said, citing local festivals and film programs as cultural and economic assets.
No board action was requested on the spot; commissioners received the petition and referenced Deneen's materials for follow-up discussions with Visit Spokane and other regional partners.
