The Oklahoma Film + Music Office’s (OF+MO) Director Tava Maloy Sofsky is proud to be a featured panelist of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s October Forum on Wednesday, October 21, at 12:00 p.m. This month’s forum will highlight the growing appeal of Oklahoma as a film industry destination.
As a city on the rise, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber seeks to inform audiences of the major successes, challenges and ways that the local business community can stay engaged. The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Forum Series accomplishes this by bringing together leaders to discuss major initiatives, programs and current issues that impact Oklahoma City’s business climate, economy and community. In addition to OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky, next week’s session on the Oklahoma film industry will feature special guests Amy Janes, co-founder of Green Pastures Studio, and Rachel Cannon, actress/producer and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Prairie Surf Media and Studios.
Workforce, community and infrastructure development will be the leading topics of this forum conversation as they play a pivotal role in Oklahoma’s film and television industry, which continues to see support from state leadership, including Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt who in May deemed the entertainment industry an essential business. Since reopening at that time, Oklahoma has welcomed 20 projects that both positively impact communities across the state and keep many local industry members employed, with 11 more productions scheduled to launch between now and March 2021.
In fiscal year 2020 (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020), over $17 million in wages were paid to local film and television industry members, and opportunities to grow the state’s workforce and business opportunities are abounding with new initiatives, including the launch of both Green Pastures Studios, home to the Oklahoma Film and TV Academy, as well as Prairie Surf Studios, formally the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, which will be marketed to industry professionals as a soundstage and available for alternative production use.
“OF+MO is excited to join the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber for this special event alongside industry pioneers such as Amy Janes and Rachel Cannon,” said OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky. “This is a prime time to be a part of Oklahoma’s film and television industry, which is seeing increased and expanded production resulting in the subsequent growth of our local workforce, businesses and educational opportunities. The recent developments in Oklahoma City are poised to elevate not only our capitol city, but nearly every community across the state, all of which play a critical part of the process.”
This event will begin with group networking at 11:45 a.m. followed by the main event at 12:00 p.m. Registration to attend this event is $15 for Chamber members and $25 for non-members. Access to the Zoom event will be e-mailed to registrants on Monday, October 19.
For more information, please contact the Chamber at (405) 297-8921 or visit okcchamber.com.
###
About Oklahoma Film + Music Office
Created in 1979, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma’s film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit okfilmmusic.org.
