Five Years and Counting
About Reel East Texas

Our Mission
To cultivate a local film and entertainment industry by hosting national and international filmmakers in Kilgore while strategically investing in historic East Texas assets.
Our Vision
The vision of Reel East Texas is to be a catalyst for growth of an independent film industry by building on our community’s wildcatter heritage. Through outreach that fuels arts and education, REEL will inspire an audience and create a culture for independent film while entertaining, enriching and elevating East Texans.

Our Three Pillars

Film Festival
We are growing our festival, hosted by filmmakers for filmmakers. We love great films and bringing together audiences, filmmakers and film industry representatives in celebration of artistic and independent spirit.

Film Industry
We are incentivizing filmmakers to produce projects in Kilgore and East Texas, making use of the Film Friendly City designation by the Texas Film Commission, and recruiting from a workforce that’s a quarter-million strong.

Venue Management
We are generating an energetic and vibrant downtown by procuring and investing in Kilgore properties, creating viable spaces for small businesses to rent/lease and for both residents and
visitors to enjoy.