The idea for the Broken Arrow Film Festival did not start with a filmmaker's dream or a cinephile's wish list. It started with a line item in a city budget.
Broken Arrow approved a $100,000 pilot film incentive program. The program was modest by state standards but significant for a city of its size: a 10 percent rebate on local spending during a production, a $500 rebate for every 12 room nights booked at a Broken Arrow hotel, and a 10 to 20 percent rebate on the cost of production space. It was funded through hotel and motel lodging tax revenue, and it made Broken Arrow the home of Oklahoma's second-largest municipal film incentive.
Brad Heath, who works in the film industry and now serves as the festival's director, saw the announcement and recognized it for what it was. "Broken Arrow had announced a $100,000 film incentive, and as someone who works in the industry, that's eye-opening," Heath told KTUL. "We know the state has one, the city of Tulsa has one, and now Broken Arrow has one."
That incentive, paired with a partnership with the Muscogee Nation, became the foundation for something the city had never had: its own film festival. The inaugural Broken Arrow Film Festival will run Oct. 2-3, 2026, at the Regal Warren Broken Arrow, bringing two days of independent film, filmmaker discussions, special guests and movie-inspired experiences to the Rose District.
The response from filmmakers outpaced what organizers might have reasonably expected for a first-year event. The festival received 177 submissions representing filmmakers from 30 states. The programming spans narrative features, documentaries, short films, student productions, comedy and horror. A dedicated Okie Made category highlights work created by Oklahoma filmmakers, a nod to the festival's roots in a state that has been aggressively courting production.
Broken Arrow's own experiment has already produced results. The first movie to receive a share of the city's pilot incentive, "Horrified," was approved for $59,000 out of the $100,000 program and was estimated to have added between $800,000 and $1 million in additional revenue to the local economy. Since launching the incentive in 2025, the city reports that productions have spent over half a million dollars locally and generated more than 1,000 hotel room nights.
"Broken Arrow's investment in the film industry is about creating new opportunities for our community and supporting an industry that brings real economic impact with it," said Makala Barton, Tourism Development Manager for the City of Broken Arrow. "The Broken Arrow Film Festival is another step in building on that momentum, giving us an opportunity to support filmmakers, showcase our community, and continue establishing Broken Arrow as a destination for film."
Barton sits on the festival's executive committee alongside Heath, Kenny Wayne Shavers, Stevie Fernandez, Lorna Ray and PJ Sosko. The festival's own description of itself is telling: "By filmmakers for filmmakers." It is a phrase that signals an event built by people who understand production schedules and submission fees, not just red carpets.
Programming begins Friday, Oct. 2, with screenings starting at 11:15 a.m. and continuing throughout the day. Friday's lineup includes short films, documentaries, narrative features, comedy and horror selections, filmmaker Q&A sessions, and the Arts @ 302 Film Camp Premiere. Saturday brings another full day of screenings and special programming, including student film showcases, documentaries, comedy and social commentary selections, filmmaker Q&As, industry discussions and special guest appearances.
Among the films screening is "Sum Function," a documentary following military veterans competing in wheelchair rugby. The film centers on the Oscar Mike Militia, described as the nation's only all-veteran wheelchair rugby team, whose athletes are impaired in all four limbs due to war, illness or life-altering events. It was directed by Noah Currier, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and quadriplegic who sustained his injury in a car accident three days after returning home from combat, and who went on to found the Oscar Mike Foundation. In its own press materials, the film resists easy categorization: "'Sum Function' is not a sports story, and it's not a war story. It's a raw, unflinching look at survival, connection, and the fight for access in a world that isn't built for people with disabilities."
Also on the schedule is "My Grandfather: The Zookeeper," which explores the beginnings and evolution of the American Association of Zookeepers.
The festival's guest list leans into recognizable screen history. Matt Jones, known for his portrayal of Brandon "Badger" Mayhew on "Breaking Bad" as well as roles on "Mom" and in "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," will appear alongside actor and podcast host PJ Sosko for a live edition of the "Sittin' w/the Sosko" podcast. Actor Katherine Willis is also among the announced special guests.
Then there are the cars. In addition to screenings, festivalgoers can walk through a display of vehicles recognizable from film and television. The announced lineup includes Ecto-1 from "Ghostbusters," the DeLorean from "Back to the Future," K.I.T.T., the Twister Truck, two Batmobiles, a Gotham City Police car, the General Lee, a Jurassic Park Jeep and Herbie the Love Bug. Additional vehicles may appear, participation is volunteer-based, and the lineup is subject to change. Attendees can vote for a Fan Favorite among the displays.
Heath has been candid that the cars are not an afterthought. "We're trying to not just be about the film, although that is our meat and potatoes," he told KTUL. "We're also trying to add some other things that are going to be special and unique."
The festival culminates Saturday evening with an awards ceremony from 8:30 to 10 p.m., recognizing outstanding work from the inaugural event.
What the first year ultimately proves will not be measured only in ticket sales. For a city that spent years watching productions pass it by for Tulsa or Oklahoma City, the festival is a statement of intent, an attempt to put Broken Arrow on the map as a place where films get made and, increasingly, where they get shown. Whether the Okie Made category becomes a launching pad for local filmmakers or the movie cars become the lasting memory, the first edition has already answered one question: 177 filmmakers from 30 states were willing to take a chance on a festival that did not exist a year ago.
Tickets and individual screening passes are available through FilmFreeway, and additional festival information is available at bafilmfestival.com.