POPCORN
PROPHETS
BASED ON AN ACTUAL LIE …
Structured for the Maximum Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program Grant
Popcorn Prophets is a feature film set in 1990s South Texas, rooted in Rio Grande Valley culture, faith communities, and working-class Texas life. The project is a culturally specific Texas story designed to be produced entirely in South Texas with a Texas-based workforce. It is structured from the ground up to maximize in-state production, historic location use, Veteran participation, and rural economic impact.
Total Production Budget: $1,500,000+
Qualified Texas Spend: $1,500,000+
Base Grant Tier: 25%
Additional Grant Awards: Structured to qualify
Total Eligibility: Up to 31%
Projected Grant Return at Maximum Award: $465,000
BASE GRANT – 25%
Narrative feature with $1.5M+ in qualified Texas spend.
Principal photography in Texas.
Majority Texas resident cast and crew.
Qualifies for the highest base tier under TMIIIP guidelines.
Veteran Percentage - 2.5%
Directed and Produced by Nate Boyer, U.S. Army Special Forces veteran.
Written and Produced by Reynaldo Leal, U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Production plan includes targeted hiring of Texas veterans in at least 5% of crew and cast positions - to include extras.
Rural Filming - 2.5%
Primary photography in:
Starr County - 35% filming days.
Hidalgo County - 65% filming days
Production spend concentrated in underutilized South Texas counties with less than 300,000 residents.
Texas Historic Site - 2.5%
Historic Texas venues, like Cine El Rey, are incorporated into production plan.
Postproduction in Texas - 1%
Projected 25% of total eligible in-state spending on editorial, sound design, color, and finishing completed by Texas vendors.
Texas Heritage Project - 2.5%
Story rooted in Texas faith communities, working-class families, and regional identity.
Faith-Based Project - 2.5%
Narrative driven by church life, spiritual conflict, and reconciliation.
Faith is structurally embedded in the story.
Workforce Development - 2.5%
Formal engagement with:
Edinburg Economic Development Corporation
McAllen Economic Development Corporation
Planned initiatives:
• On-set internships
• Local crew hiring
• Regional vendor utilization
• Workforce pipeline expansion
STATE INVESTMENT ALIGNMENT
Popcorn Prophets represents a fully Texas-based production model with $1.5M+ in qualified in-state spend and structured eligibility for up to the maximum 31% TMIIIP grant. Principal photography in Starr and Hidalgo counties, historic site engagement, veteran participation, and Texas-based post production ensure alignment with state incentive objectives. The production plan is structured for compliance, accountability, and regional economic activation.