Houston Film Incentive 2026 — HFFIP + TMIIIP Stack Calculator

Houston's Houston Film + Film Industry Promotion (HFFIP) program adds a city-level rebate for qualifying scripted productions on top of the Texas state TMIIIP program. Houston is the only Texas city offering double-digit city incentives for film and TV.

Houston HFFIP Program Terms

The $100,000 cap means HFFIP is fully effective for productions with $500K–$1M in Houston-qualifying spend. Above $1M Houston spend, the cap limits the effective HFFIP rate below 10%.

Combined Houston Stack

For a scripted production with $2M qualifying Texas spend filmed in Houston:

• TMIIIP base (25%): $500,000
• HFFIP (10%, capped at $100K): $100,000
• Combined rebate: $600,000 (30% effective rate on $2M)

Add applicable uplifts (rural, veteran, heritage) and the number climbs further.

Houston's Production Infrastructure

Houston offers one of the largest crew bases in Texas, purpose-built stages at Houston Studios (75,000 sq ft), and a cost structure meaningfully below Los Angeles. The fourth-largest U.S. city rarely appears on production radar despite its infrastructure — which works in your favor as a producer competing for crew time and favorable location rates.

HFFIP Scripted-Only Restriction

HFFIP does not cover reality TV, commercials, or documentary formats. Scripted film and television (including limited series and streaming originals) are the eligible formats.