Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission

What Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission does

The Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission is a county government agency founded in 1989 that serves as the official film office for Palm Beach County, Florida. The commission provides free one-stop film permitting coordination across more than 50 municipalities, taxing districts, county departments, and community entities, along with location scouting support, production resource directories, and connections to local crew, studios, and talent. Its core service eliminates the multi-jurisdictional friction typically encountered by productions seeking South Florida filming locations, supported by an underlying location database and 100+ production-company ecosystem. The commission does not build proprietary technology; its platform is the institutional permitting and coordination infrastructure granted by county governance.

The commission's business model is government-funded: it charges productions nothing for permitting or location services, with operating budgets flowing from Palm Beach County government and oversight from the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council. Revenue mechanics are not applicable in the commercial sense; instead, the commission's value is measured by production volume attracted and the resulting local economic stimulus. Beyond permitting, the commission programs The Palm Beaches TV (PBTV), a 24/7 streaming destination channel owned by Olympusat and distributed via Roku, hotel rooms, and Warner Bros. Discovery's Destination America network reaching up to 40 million viewers. The commission also executes the Student Showcase of Films, Florida's largest student film competition, which has awarded over $4.5 million in cash, prizes, and scholarships since inception.

Go-to-market is event-driven: the commission cultivates production pipeline through active participation in global industry events including the Cannes Film Festival and Tribeca Festival, alongside ongoing partnerships with Film Florida, Film USA, Miami Film Lab, and FilmGate Miami. Customer segments are horizontal, encompassing feature film productions, television series, commercial shoots, digital media, and student filmmakers, with named customers including Baywatch (2017), Vineyard Vines, PRINTFRESH, Lone Wolf Media, and Pioneer Productions. Leadership transitioned in October 2022 when Film Commissioner Michelle Hillery, a 26-year commission veteran, succeeded founder Chuck Elderd.

Name

Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission

Legal name

Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission

Website

https://pbfilm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission is a county government agency providing free one-stop film permitting, location scouting, and production coordination across 50+ municipalities to attract film, television, and commercial productions to Palm Beach County, Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Commission Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Locations Services (Scouting, Permits, Management) (MPADAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL), Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community) (MPADAJAJ)

Keywords

• Film commission services
• Production permitting
• Location scouting
• Film office support
• Production coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

West Palm Beach, Florida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Publicly funded government agency supported by Palm Beach County government, providing free film permitting and production support services to attract productions to the region and stimulate local economic activity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission is a government-affiliated agency that provides free production support services to film, television, and commercial projects seeking to film in Palm Beach County, Florida. It handles permitting, location scouting, and on-the-ground production coordination. The commission also operates its own streaming content channel and runs a student film showcase program to promote local filmmaking talent.

Product overview

Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission offers a unified suite of production support services centered around a free one-stop permitting platform, a searchable location database, a streaming television channel (The Palm Beaches TV), and a student film competition (Student Showcase of Films). The core offering is the permitting and location coordination service, supplemented by original content production through PBTV and workforce development through SSOF.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film & Television Production Support Services
• The Palm Beaches TV Streaming Channel
• Student Showcase of Films Program

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charismatic Entertainment, LTDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2026International co-production agreement between Meta4 Creative Media (West Palm Beach) and Charismatic Entertainment (UK) for joint development and production of 'Arthur vs Aliens'. The partnership combines Meta4's creative vision and storytelling with Charismatic's AI story engine technology for hybrid AI production. Film slated for 2028 release.
• Film USAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFilm Commissioner Michelle Hillery joined Film USA and Florida partners at the Cannes Film Festival to highlight Palm Beach County locations, resources, and film-friendly services during Florida Day programming.
• Film FloridacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing partnership with Film Florida, a statewide film production advocacy organization. Michelle Hillery is a Past President of Film Florida, having served two terms from 2014 to 2016. The commission participates in Film Florida quarterly meetings and industry events.
• Miami Film LabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFilm Commissioner Michelle Hillery participated in Miami Film Lab's 'Lights, Camera, Community' industry roundtable to connect with Miami's film community and promote Palm Beach County.
• Miami FilmGateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDirector of Operations Alberto Jordat participated in Miami FilmGate's 'Greenlight Florida' panel discussion alongside other Florida film commissioners and Motion Picture Association representatives.
• Motion Picture AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoshua Rogin, Senior Vice President of Federal Affairs for the Motion Picture Association, participated in Miami FilmGate's 'Greenlight Florida' panel discussion with Palm Beach County Film Commission representatives.
• Palm Beach County Board of County CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Student Showcase of Films is a partnership between the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the Palm Beach County Department of Housing & Economic Sustainability, and the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission.
• Palm Beach County Department of Housing & Economic SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Student Showcase of Films along with the Board of County Commissioners and Film & Television Commission.
• Palm Beach County Tourist Development CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council provides oversight for The Palm Beaches TV programming, which is programmed by the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission.
• OlympusatcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOlympusat, an international media and entertainment company based in West Palm Beach, owns The Palm Beaches TV and provides distribution through hotel rooms, streaming platforms, and broadcast.
• Destination AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWarner Bros. Discovery network focused on American culture, food, lifestyle and travel. Palm Beach County series including 'All Access Palm Beaches' and 'Passport to The Palm Beaches' air on this network reaching up to 40 million viewers.
• Discover The Palm BeachescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County. Partnership on Entertainment Tonight segment showcasing 'Florida's Most Stylish Vacation Destination' from The Colony in Palm Beach reaching 3 million viewers per night.
• 50+ Municipal GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm-friendly partnerships with over 50 municipalities, taxing districts, County departments and other entities enabling streamlined permitting coordination for productions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Film Florida: Statewide not-for-profit film production advocacy organization of which the Palm Beach Commission is an active member (its commissioner is a past president); provides coordination, lobbying, and marketing support that complements — rather than directly competes with — the Commission's local permitting role.
• British Film Commission: UK national film commission providing production support, permitting coordination, and incentive guidance — operates in a different geography but functions as a comparable national-level government film office at the international co-production level that the Commission engages at Cannes.

Direct peers

• Greater Orlando Film Commission: Regional film office serving Central Florida that offers permitting coordination, location services, and crew connections — competing for Florida-based productions and offering proximity to Orlando's theme park and studio infrastructure.
• Georgia Film Office: State-level film commission offering the Georgia Film Tax Credit (30% transferable), the largest and most aggressive incentive program in the U.S. — directly competing with Palm Beach County for major studio productions despite being a different state.
• California Film Commission: State-run film office providing permitting assistance, location scouting, and the California Film & Television Tax Credit program — a national peer that competes with Palm Beach for studio feature and series work.
• Louisiana Entertainment (Office of Entertainment Industry Development): State-level film office administering the Louisiana Motion Picture Tax Credit program — a major competitor in the U.S. Southeast production market that targets the same Hollywood feature/series productions as Palm Beach County.
• Miami-Dade Office of Film & Entertainment: Government film office serving Miami-Dade County that provides permitting, location scouting, and production support services — directly competing with Palm Beach for South Florida productions, with the advantage of proximity to a larger urban core and Miami-based studio infrastructure.
• New York State Governor's Office of Motion Picture & Television Development: State film office administering the NY Film Production Tax Credit and providing production support services — competing nationally for productions and offering one of the largest U.S. film incentive programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PBCFilmandTV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj6BxWLhGFP9s2lB3iwVMmw
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Palm-Beach-County-Film-Television-Commission/240219920275
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palm-beach-county-film-&-television-commission-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/pbcfilmandtv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission