Film Indy Hires Film Commissioner
Visit Indy hired Sabatine as the city's first film commissioner in July.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFilm Indy, the two-year initiative that aims to bring film and television projects to Indianapolis, has announced Teresa Sabatine as the city’s first Film Commissioner. Visit Indy says Sabatine will be responsible for positioning the city as a production-friendly location for various film projects.
Sabatine, a graduate of Ball State University, previously served as the director of business development for People for Urban Progress. She also has experience in the television and film industry in New York and Los Angeles.
"Indy is a vibrant destination that deserves to be shown through the lens of film production," said Sabatine. "I am delighted to be a part of the growth of our production industry, which already includes more than 600 local film production companies in Central Indiana. I’m confident through this initiative that producers will find Indy to be an affordable destination to film, offering a wide variety of locations within a close drive."
Visit Indy says Sabatine will work to sell Indianapolis as a production location to location scouts, producers and the film community. She will also handle the booking of hotel rooms for film crews and work to ensure smooth productions.
The public-private partnership, launched by Visit Indy, the Indy Chamber, the Central Indiana Community Foundation and the city of Indianapolis, was announced in December. Visit Indy said the goal was not only to gain marketing exposure for the city, but generate millions of dollars in economic impact.
"We are always looking for new ways to help market Indy in support of elevating city’s brand while generating tourism spending," said Chris Gahl, Vice President of Visit Indy. "A perfect example of Film Indy in action is the city recently hosting NBC’s primetime show American Ninja Warrior. A Los Angeles-based production crew of 200 people spent 10 days filming in Indy, generating more than $500,000 in economic impact while putting Indy on national TV to an audience of more than four million potential visitors."
A feasibility study conducted before the launch of the initiative estimated it could generate more than $6 million in annual economic impact.