Osceola County has started a film commission it’s calling Film Kissimmee to bring movie, television, commercial, and digital productions to the area. It aims to boost the local economy by marketing more than 100 filming locations across the county.
Experience Kissimmee president and CEO DT Minich presented the commission to county commissioners at a recent meeting, and Nick Floyd, who manages video production for Experience Kissimmee, was named director of the Kissimmee Film Commission.
To prepare, Experience Kissimmee hired a professional location scout with more than 20 years of experience in Florida and the Southeast. The scout documented more than 100 potential sites in 12 days, according to Positively Osceola. The sites are listed in an online directory that production companies can search for photos and details.
The locations already listed include ranchland, cypress-lined wetlands and natural waterways, historic downtown streets, luxury vacation homes, hospitality properties and the NeoCity technology hub.
Minich said productions bring spending to a destination. “When a film or when a TV commercial comes into a location, there’s huge amounts of spending inside the destination,” he told WFTV. Officials expect local hotels, restaurants, transportation providers and equipment rental companies to benefit.
Experience Kissimmee is pointing to its sports commission as a model. The agency started it 11 years ago, booked 35 events in the first year, and now books more than 100 events a year, according to the reports.
Next steps include expanding the location directory, creating educational resources for local partners, and hosting tours of the area for producers and location managers.
