Director’s Cut: The Film Business Is Everybody’s Business

When people hear that I'm the Boulder County Film Commissioner, they sometimes imagine that my job involves hanging out with movie stars, scouting beautiful locations, and making sure nobody blocks Pearl Street during a film shoot. 

Well, I wouldn't mind a little more time with movie stars. But there's a lot more to this job than that. In fact, one of the most important things I do has very little to do with movies themselves. It has to do with economic development. 

That's right. A film commission is an economic development organization. Our job is to attract business, create jobs, support local companies, and bring investment into our community. We just happen to work in a pretty creative industry. 

Think about what happens when a film production comes to Boulder. The crew needs hotel rooms, restaurants, transportation, equipment, locations, and local talent. They hire camera operators, editors, sound engineers, designers, and production assistants. They spend money with businesses that might never appear in the credits. 

And when the cameras stop rolling, those dollars have already made their way into our local economy. But here's something even more important. The film industry isn't just about making movies anymore. 

Every business that hires a photographer, produces a promotional video, creates digital content, or develops a marketing campaign is participating in the creative economy. From aerospace companies explaining complex technology to restaurants telling their stories online, creative professionals help businesses connect with customers, attract talent, and grow. 

Boulder has an incredible collection of these people. Filmmakers, designers, animators, photographers, production companies, and digital storytellers. They're entrepreneurs, employers, and innovators. And they're an important part of our economic future. 

So why does Boulder County need a Film Commission? 

Because having great talent isn't enough. You must connect that talent with opportunity. 

That's why the Boulder County Film Commission operates through the Boulder Chamber. We work to attract productions, promote local professionals, connect businesses with creative services, and build relationships that bring more work to our region. 

Our Schmoozers aren't just parties - although we do know how to throw a good one. Our Creative Directory isn't just a list of names - it’s a business resource guide. Our industry events, filmmaker programs, and partnerships are designed to help people meet, collaborate, find customers, and build businesses. 

That's economic development, even if it occasionally involves a red carpet. 

And now, Boulder has an extraordinary opportunity to take this work to another level. In January 2027, the Sundance Film Festival comes to Boulder. Naturally, there's excitement about the films, celebrities, visitors, and international attention. Our hotels, restaurants, retailers, and other businesses are looking forward to welcoming the Festival. 

But here's the question I'm most interested in: What happens after everyone goes home? 

The real opportunity isn't just the economic activity generated during the Festival. It's the relationships and investment that could follow. Filmmakers, producers, distributors, investors, and creative entrepreneurs will discover Boulder. They'll see our beautiful surroundings, but also our universities, research institutions, technology companies, entrepreneurial culture, and talented workforce. 

Maybe a producer returns to shoot another project. Maybe a creative company hires local talent. Maybe an investor discovers a promising Boulder business. Or maybe someone attending a film festival decides this is a pretty great place to start a company. 

Those opportunities don't happen just because we put out the welcome mat. 

They happen because someone follows up, makes introductions, builds partnerships, and turns a few days of excitement into years of economic activity. For me, a great example is Austin, Texas, where a signature film festival - South by Southwest - helped reinforce a broader creative industry ecosystem. It showed that festivals can serve as anchors for year-round activity: attracting filmmakers and audiences, building industry networks, and increasing demand for local production services and creative talent. To me, that translates into workforce development, more production facilities, increased economic benefits to local businesses, and sustained private investment.

Another relevant example is Austin Film Society’s Austin Studios, launched in 2000 through a partnership with the City of Austin. The 20-acre production complex transformed former airport facilities into a home for film and television productions and local creative businesses. By 2023, productions associated with the studios had generated more than $2.6 billion in economic impact and 36,000 jobs, demonstrating how creative infrastructure can convert cultural momentum into lasting economic activity. 

That's the work of a film commission. And that's why the Sundance Film Festival represents much more than a wonderful cultural event for Boulder. 

We already have a strong foundation, including the Boulder International Film Festival. Our local creative professionals work with businesses across the country, as witnessed by last month’s Boulder Creative Digital Awards Night. And our universities, technology companies, and entrepreneurs provide opportunities for creative industries to intersect with innovation. 

The Sundance Film Festival didn't create Boulder's creative economy. It gives us a bigger stage on which to showcase it. 

Of course, none of this happens overnight. Building an industry takes relationships, workforce development, business connections, supportive infrastructure, and a community willing to recognize creativity as an economic asset. 

That's what we're working to accomplish through the Boulder County Film Commission. 

Because economic development isn't just about attracting the next big technology company or corporate headquarters. It's also about helping the businesses and talented people already here grow, succeed, and create opportunities for others. 

The Sundance Film Festival will bring the world's attention to Boulder for a few days. 

Our job is to make sure that attention creates opportunities for years to come. 

And if we do it right, that's a pretty good ending to this story.