Before we begin our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026, first things first: Los Angeles and New York City are not on this list because we moved them to our Best Places Hall of Fame years ago — and because everyone knows they remain North America’s film capitals.
That said, Canada and many countries overseas are giving them some serious competition, in part because of high costs in the U.S., and because of Hollywood’s uncertainty about where and how to invest.
Some big productions are taking advantage of other countries’ taxpayer-funded health care, for example: The Wall Street Journal noted in August that one reason many productions are moving to the United Kingdom is that “workers there are generally paid less, and studios don’t have to cover their health insurance.”
That observation appeared in an August story headlined “Disney’s Marvel Abandons Georgia, Taking Livelihoods With It.” Marvel’s exodus is part of the reason Atlanta isn’t on our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker this year. The lovely city of Savannah, Georgia’s other major film hub, is still very much on the list, thanks in part to the steady business that the Savannah College of Art and Design helps drive.
Adding to the uncertainty of the U.S. film business is President Trump’s threat to impose 100% tariffs on foreign films.
So what’s going well in the North American film business? Plenty — if you’re Canadian. We’re thrilled to welcome the Canadian cities of Edmonton and Quebec City to this year’s list. And while U.S. production is generally down, many American communities are scoring by doubling down on their commitment to film, especially in Texas and New Mexico. And we’re very excited to welcome Louisville, Kentucky to our list.
As always, when compiling our list of Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, we look to celebrate cities and towns where we believe you’ll have the best chance of both succeeding in the famously difficult entertainment industry, and making your own art.
We try to imagine a very particular kind of filmmaker, who we’ll call Sam: She pays the bills crewing for big productions, and writes her own screenplays at night. On weekends, Sam pitches in to help friends make indie movies, knowing that they’ll pitch in when it’s time for her to make hers. She doesn’t think she should have to sacrifice having a family or owning a home in order to do work in film, and she shouldn’t have to. Maybe L.A. is perfect for her, but maybe she’d be better off somewhere less expensive, where she doesn’t spend so much time trying to stay afloat that she never has time to tell her own stories.
To that end, we create this list by asking cities about factors like their industry spend, tax incentives, crews, sound stages, local film scenes, and recent productions. We also take cost of living and general livability into account: Can we see ourselves being happy there? Buying a house? And how’s the food?
If you don’t want to live in certain places because of their laws or values, we get it. But we also like the idea of moving to certain places to help change their laws and values.
Finally, as we always say: We aren’t suggesting you move to any of these places without doing your own research. And we’re sure not every place on this list will be for everyone. But we are confident that somewhere on this list is a place where you can make a good living and do great work.
So with that, here’s our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026.
THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE AND WORK AS A MOVIEMAKER: BEST BIG CITIES
25. EL PASO, TEXAS
Fresh from hosting Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, El Paso is riding high and looking for more large-scale films and TV shows. It offers a close-knit, passionate film community — which comes out in force each year for the fast-growing El Paso Film Festival — as well as its inimitable location along the U.S.-Mexican border, one of the most storied regions in the world. In addition to charm, affordability and easy permitting — as well as very photogenic historic buildings you can see on display in One Battle — El Paso offers an array of production facilities, including the Rio Bravo Outpost and MindWarp Films. But the biggest recent draw may be the new improvements to the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which now allows productions a grant rebate of up to 31% of their qualified in-state spending — up from 22.5%. (You can read more about it in upcoming entries on this list, and on page 70.) El Paso is also close to Las Cruces, New Mexico, another fast-rising film hub that returns this year to our list of the Best Smaller Cities and Towns.
24. OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City has recently hosted such features as New Year’s Rev — about a young punk band opening for Green Day — and the holiday film The One, featuring Martin Sheen. It’s also the home of Oklahoma City Community College, one of the most affordable options on our list of the Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada, and home to the beloved deadCenter Film Festival, which recently featured the world premiere of the fascinating 67 Bombs To Enid, a documentary by Oklahoma filmmakers about survivors of American nuclear bomb tests in the Marshall Islands who have relocated to Enid, Oklahoma, about 100 miles from Oklahoma City. Like Tulsa, 100 miles to the northeast, OKC benefits from strong tax incentives that include Oklahoma’s 20-30% cash rebate. The Oklahoma City Film and Creative Industries Office makes permitting easy, and the city has 600 crew members ready to go. It has a below average cost of living and rich cultural offerings that include the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, whose Noble Theatre screens top-tier art house films.
23. CLEVELAND, OHIO
A regular on our list, Cleveland had a big moment to shine this past summer as one of the cities that hosted James Gunn’s hit Superman. Recent projects have included Hulu’s Eenie Meanie and Neon’s Shelby Oaks, directed by YouTube critic-turned-filmmaker Chris Stuckman, a local. In addition to a 30% rebate on projects that spend at least $300,000, Cleveland has a deep crew base, efficient permitting, scenic locations, and a cost of living below the U.S. average. It also boasts the Cleveland International Film Festival, which routinely earns a place on our list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. And you can enjoy lively nightlife and the pleasing shoreline along Lake Erie.
22. EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA
Sometimes known as Canada’s gateway to the north, Edmonton is also a gateway to moviemaking. It’s a new and welcome addition to our list, thanks to its impressive commitment to boosting filmmakers on the rise. One of the best representatives of Edmonton’s scrappy indie film scene — and DIY filmmaking in general — is Kyle Edward Ball, whose $15,000 experimental film Skinamarink earned $2 million and scored him a deal with A24 for his next film, the upcoming Land of Nod. Other recent Edmonton productions include Smudge the Blades, a comedy about an Indigenous youth hockey team from director-producer Cody Lightning, and The Great Ones, a five-part documentary series about the Edmonton Oilers, former team of Wayne Gretzky. Alberta offers a base tax credit of 22% on qualifying production and labor costs, and the Alberta Made Production Grant, focused on smaller budget, locally owned productions, covers 25% of eligible Alberta production costs of up to $125,000. The program is designed to support emerging talent. Additionally, the province’s Project Script Development Grant offers up to $55,000 per project to help local writers and producers create marketable, quality scripts. Additionally, Edmonton Screen’s Elevation Program provides direct investment into film and TV projects produced in Edmonton. And local crews have worked on everything from small productions to HBO’s The Last of Us.
21. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
Kansas City combines excellent incentives with a can-do attitude that make it a strong option for a wide range of film and television creatives.Recent projects shot in KC include Paul Schrader’s The Basics of Philosophy,and Season 4 of Ted Lasso, starring Jason Sudeikis, who grew up locally. Others with strong regional ties include director-screenwriter Kevin Willmott — an Oscar winner for co-writing director Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman — and actor David Dastmalchian. Besides working in film and TV,the region’s versatile crews keep busy with lots of commercial work for major national brands. Missouri’s transferable tax credit for eligible expenditures ranges from 20 to 42%, and Kansas City offers its own additional cash rebate of up to 12% on all qualified production expenditures, which is stackable with the state incentive -— and gives KC one of the most competitive incentive packages in the country. The lively local festival scene includes the beloved genre event Panic Fest, as well as the KC Underground Film Fest and the Juneteenth Film Festival. No filming permits are needed, and the cost of living is below the national average. You’ve probably heard about the city’s historic 18th & Vine district, known for jazz, but did you know KC also has a vast network of limestone caves?
20. QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, CANADA
Quebec City is one of the most beautiful places in North America, if not the world — from the cobblestone streets of the Old Quebec District to the majesty of Château Frontenac to the views from the city walls, you’ll have a plethora of breathtaking sights to film. The city also has skilled, flexible crews and is known for top-tier animation. The terrific incentives include the Province of Quebec’s 25% Refundable Tax Credit, and 16% stackable federal tax credit, as well as a 16% credit on qualifying animation. Additionally, no permit fees are required for locations under municipal jurisdiction, and productions receive a 30% discount on municipal services. Though almost everyone speaks English, you’ll have an easier time charming the locals if you speak a little French. Appreciation for film is very strong — local theaters include Le Clap, Cinema Beaumont, and Cinema Cartier — and the city hosts the annual Festival du cinéma de la ville de Québec, which, for those of us who are behind on our language apps, means “Quebec City Film Festival.”
19. PORTLAND, OREGON
Portland hosted one of the best films of 2025, James Sweeney’s Twinless, which showed off the region’s charm, vibrance and down-to-earth livability. The city has a 25% film rebate and just raised its annual cap to $21.25 million. Its lively, committed film culture includes the Hollywood Theater, one of the sites of the new Portland Panorama Film Festival. Both the stunning coast and mountains are close by, but the biggest draw might be the people, who value culture and creativity and foster a strong sense of community support for film and the arts in general. The film scene’s values are reflected in its many available equipment rental and post production houses, the latter of which include Picture This and Refuge VFX. Portland can support blockbusters, but treasures its indie aesthetics and commitment to handcrafted storytelling.
18. TULSA, OKLAHOMA
Tulsa keeps building on its success: After the conclusion of local Sterlin Harjo’s FX series Reservation Dogs, he quickly unveiled an acclaimed new FX show, The Lowdown, which stars executive producer Ethan Hawke as a self-proclaimed Tulsa “truthstorian” and also features Tulsa natives Tim Blake Nelson and Jeanne Tripplehorn. The city is scoring in part due to the Filmed in Oklahoma Act, which allows a rebate of 20-30%, depending on uplifts. One of those uplifts is for using regional music, which makes sense given Tulsa’s musical legacy: It’s among the cities featured in the new CBS musician-discovery series The Road, from Taylor Sheridan and Blake Shelton. The indie scene is thriving as well: Recent success stories include “Tiger,” Loren Waters’ Sundance award-winning film, and Pretty Babies, Tyler-Marie Evans’ feature directorial debut. Near Tulsa, the Cherokee National Film Incentive provides $1 million annually for productions filmed within the Cherokee Nation, and the Cherokee Film Institute teaches filmmakers about best practices for filming on tribal lands.
17. HONOLULU, HAWAII
Honolulu has hosted many successful productions that cater to audiences’ dreams of living in Hawaii, including NCIS: Hawai’i and Magnum P.I. It was also home to the live-action Disney features Lilo & Stitch and Moana, as well as the comedy-action film Wrecking Crew with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, and the Apple TV Momoa series Chief of War, which tells the story of the Hawaiian Islands’ unification from an Indigenous perspective. The state has a very film-friendly atmosphere — you’ve been seeing Hawaiian locales fill in for tropical hideaways all your life, in productions from Jurassic Park to Lost — and the Hawaii Production Tax Incentive is 22% on total on-island spend. The 1929 rococo-style Hawaii Theater is a one-of-a-kind place to enjoy a film, and the Hawai’i International Film Festival is one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. Not everyone likes living hours from the mainland, and that’s fine — it means more work for those who do.
16. LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
A new addition to our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, the home of the Kentucky Derby is very much in the race for film and TV spending. Recent projects have included Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire, in which Louisville doubled for 1970s Indianapolis, and Alex Vlack’s feature directorial debut The Revisionist, with Dustin Hoffman, Andre Holland and Alison Brie. Productions are drawn to Louisville’s wide range of locations, mild four-season climate, and cash-back incentive, which goes up to 35%. State-of-the-art local theater Speed Cinema, known for curating visionary films, hosts the Flyover Film Festival, which just celebrated its 15th year. One sign of the local film scene’s innovation and growth is the Kentucky College of Art and Design launching a new film degree this year. Additionally, the Louisville Film Office and local non-profit 502 Film conduct workforce development and production assistant training programs and workshops year-round, to keep building up local expertise.They also just held Kentucky’s first-ever film incubator for local and Appalachian filmmakers. If you’re wondering why the non-profit is called 502 Film, it’s because 502 is the main area code for Louisville. Filmmakers are dialing it a lot more lately.It’s also a mere 100 miles away from the next city on our list.
15. CINCINNATI, OHIO
Besides hosting Superman alongside Cleveland, Cincinnati has also recently welcomed Kelly Reichardt’s art-heist drama The Mastermind, starring Josh O’Connell and Alana Haim. Film Cincinnati offers a very streamlined permitting process, honed over 30 years of service, and the commission aims to think like a producer to make productions more efficient at every stage. There’s a strong emphasis on quality of life that includes plentiful green space and an expanding network of bike trails. There are plenty of local equipment rental houses and post production facilities, and notable locations include Union Terminal, a 1932 Art Deco landmark that appears in Superman. A plethora of Italianate architecture in the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, makes Cincinnati an especially inviting backdrop for period films. Cincinnati offers the same 30% state rebate as Cleveland, and the cost of living is similarly below the national average, so buying a house doesn’t have to be a distant dream.
14. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
San Antonio had more film production in 2025 than in 2024, and the future is bright: In addition to Texas’ aforementioned Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which offers a grant rebate of up to 31%, San Antonio offers its own rebate, which was just increased to 10%, with two potential uplifts of 2% each for local hire and veteran hire thresholds. Those add up to total rebates of up to 45% on eligible costs, which means San Antonio has some of the best incentives anywhere. When the news came out in November, Krystal Jones, executive director of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture, said it “positions our city as one of the most competitive film hubs in the U.S.,” and added that it underlines “our commitment to being a premier destination for creative professionals, storytellers, and filmmakers everywhere.” It’s also a place rich with character and history, with a cost of living that’s below the national average. Recent productions range from indies to documentaries to reality shows, and San Antonio also draws lots of commercials thanks, to its blue skies and photogenic landscapes. The number of crew and vendor listings is up dramatically this decade, and it has some locations that can stand in for a wide range of other times and places, and others, like the River Walk and the Alamo, that are wholly unique. And it’s a mere 80 miles from Austin.
13. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
New Orleans is a perennial on our annual list, and we often say variations on the same thing: You could use it to double for many other cities, but why would you? New Orleans is one of the most fascinating places on earth, where a vast array of cultures and values coalesce into an irresistible gumbo. Audiences love seeing it onscreen, because it’s a place you can taste and feel. The architecture, music and food are all unmatched, and the tax incentives are quite competitive: In addition to the 25% base credit, increases include a 15% credit on Louisiana resident payroll, and a 10% credit on screenplays by Louisiana residents. The strong local festivals include the New Orleans Film Festival, which specializes in amplifying overlooked Southern stories, and the genre-focused Overlook Film Festival. Recent productions include James L. Brooks’ Ella McKay.
12. FORT WORTH, TEXAS
Another Texas city jumping several places since last year, Fort Worth is benefitting from the previously mentioned boost in the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. In addition to offering filmmakers a grant rebate of up to 31% — up from 22.5% — it’s very well funded, providing $1.5 billion through 2035, or $300 million every two years. Its goal is not just to lure Hollywood productions, but to keep Texas filmmakers working in Texas. At the top of the list is Taylor Sheridan, who graduated from Fort Worth’s R.L. Paschal High School, and shoots a slew of shows in the area, including Landman, Special Ops: Lioness, the Yellowstone spinoff The Madison, and another upcoming show from the Yellowstone universe. SGS Studios, which Sheridan founded, recently partnered on a new 450,000-square foot production campus at Fort Worth’s 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development. It isn’t all Taylor Sheridan: Fort Worth also draws a healthy mix of reality TV and commercial shoots, and offers local incentives that include the You Stay We Pay Hotel Rebate, a $5 return for each room night on a minimum stay of 75 nights. Fort Worth prides itself on an easy permitting process.
11. PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
Although most of HBO’s The Pitt is shot on a soundstage, not in Pittsburgh, the medical drama still captures a lot of what makes Pittsburgh great: dependability, professionalism, flashes of incredible beauty. The Steel City has been a reliable Hollywood location for decades, and is among the cities on this list that reported significantly more film revenue this past year than the year before, thanks to projects including Paramount+’s Mayor of Kingstown and Apple TV’s Parallax. Recent films include Hershey — starring Finn Wittrock as chocolate pioneer Milton Hershey and Alexandra Daddario as his wife, Catherine, and directed by Mean Girls veteran Mark Waters — and How to Rob a Bank, starring Nicholas Hoult and Zoe Kravitz, and directed by David Leitch. The Pittsburgh region has a wealth of locations, from old factories to sleek cityscapes to abundant green spaces, and Pennsylvania offers a 25% tax credit for films that spend at least 60% of their total production budget in the commonwealth. It climbs to as high as 30% for shoots that use a state-eligible production facility. Pittsburgh is also affordable, can stand in for almost anywhere, and is extremely film-friendly, with easy permitting, four full crews, plenty of equipment rental houses, more than 15 post houses, and great schools including Carnegie Mellon University, known for producing some of the best actors in the country.
10. HOUSTON, TEXAS
A filmmaking life in Houston is more sustainable than ever, thanks in part to the aforementioned increase in the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program — which, again, now offers grant rebates of up to 31%. But Houston also stands out for its arms-wide-open welcoming of the film industry. As the biggest city in Texas, and fourth biggest city in America, Houston has nearly every type of location, from cityscapes to piney woods to rolling hills to nearby farmland. It’s close to Galveston Island and the Gulf of Mexico, and car commercials love the absence of billboard advertising. The city thrives on diversity — you’ll meet a beautiful blend of humanity in Houston — and its cost of living, which is just below the national average, is the lowest of the four biggest U.S. cities. The city has enough film crew for two to three sizable features, and recent shoots have included the thrillers Eleven Days, with Taylor Kitsch, and A Love, from director Courtney Glaude, Tyler Perry Studios’ executive creator of Scripted and Unscripted. Houston is also notable for a strong contingent of films with budgets under $1 million. The many film festivals include the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, which just celebrated its 17th year, and Houston Latino Film Festival, which just celebrated its ninth.
9. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Viewers can get a strong sense of the many varied locations in the Philadelphia area from HBO’s Task, the crime drama starring Mark Ruffalo and led by Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby, a local. The region has become a go-to for blue-collar dramas, but Philadelphia’s greatest advantages are its versatility and affordability. It welcomes everything from experimental films to pilots to features, and its rich history makes it a natural destination for documentaries. It can double for a slew of other cities, but also has one-of-a-kind neighborhoods and characters you’ll be hard pressed to duplicate. The crews are experienced; the rental houses, production companies, casting agencies and studio spaces are plentiful; and permitting is easy. The tax credits, as in Pittsburgh, range from 25-30%. One indication of the local scene’s strength is the fact that over half of recent tax credits went to projects produced in the region. The city’s reverence for art is made clear by the evocative murals that seem to cover every available wall. But unlike nearby New York, Philadelphia remains affordable to rising artists. Your best bet might be to live in the City of Brotherly Love and take the Amtrak to NYC for meetings and occasional jobs. Local film festivals include Blackstar, a regular on our list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.
8. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Boston is on the rise thanks to shows like Boston Blue, in which local Donnie Wahlberg comes home after years of playing a New Yorker on Blue Bloods. Other local TV productions include Walking Dead: Dead City, which shoots in both Beantown and nearby Brockton, among other close locations. Boston-area film productions include Amazon’s Love of Your Life, Apple’s Weekend Warrior, and Searchlight Picture’s Super Troopers 3: Winter Soldiers. Massachusetts’ incentives include a 25% payroll tax credit and 25% production expense credit, along with a sales tax exemption on qualified purchases and rentals, with no annual or per-project caps, and credits are fully transferable or refundable at 90%. The close-knit film community includes the Massachusetts Production Coalition, which strives to bring film professionals together to innovate and problem solve. Boston University counts both Benny and Josh Safdie among its alums, and Emerson College alums include The Daniels. PBS’s Frontline and American Experience are based out of local public station WGBH and reflect a strong, highly professional documentary scene. Also, MovieMaker’s editor and publisher live just beyond the city limits, and find the region one of the most pleasant, sane, and beautiful parts of our country.
7. DALLAS, TEXAS
The Dallas Film Commission notes that the city is made for the spotlight, with its dazzling skyline, striking architecture, ubiquitous public art, and vast green spaces. But it’s always been about commerce as much as art: In addition to hosting many of the same Taylor Sheridan productions as nearby Fort Worth, including Landman and The Madison, it also does brisk business with commercials for a bevy of major brands. The state’s grant rebate of up to 31% is a major boon, as is Dallas’ deep crew base: Seasoned crew members go back to the days of Walker, Texas Ranger and the soapy classic Dallas. It is known for highly skilled craftspeople, and its sharp ad agencies and production companies create cutting-edge narratives for all platforms. The Dallas Film Commission recently launched its first free production assistant training course, and works with film schools and unions to expand educational opportunities. The city boasts more than 150 IATSE members, and usually has two long-format crews staffed concurrently. The strong local film festivals include the Dallas International Film Festival and Oak Cliff Film Festival.
6. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Decades ago, Vancouver was the face of so-called “runaway productions” — films that dared go north instead of shooting in Los Angeles. Today Vancouver is an established cornerstone of the industry and the first choice of countless film and TV productions. They’re drawn to incredibly photogenic locations — from the cobblestoned streets of Gastown to the Stanley Park rain forest to neighborhoods that can emulate any time or place — as well as a deeply entrenched industry that excels in live action, virtual production, animation, VFX and post. Recent local productions have included HBO’s The Last of Us, FX’s Shogun, and AMC’s new Silicon Valley-set The Audacity. Recent features include Netflix’s upcoming Remarkably Bright Creatures, starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman, as well the horror hit Final Destination: Bloodlines. British Columbia’s Motion Picture Tax Credit Programs made major updates in March 2025, which include the Production Services Tax Credit rising from 28% to 36% — or 38% for B.C. productions with costs greater than $200 million. The many film schools include the Vancouver Film School, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada, and festivals include the prestigious Vancouver International Film Festival, one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.We love Vancouver’s atmosphere, good public transportation, and lively nightlife, but don’t take our word for it: It was ranked the seventh most liveable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2025. That was the highest ranking of any city in the Americas. The fact that Vancouver shares a time zone with Los Angeles just makes everything easier.
5. AUSTIN, TEXAS
Like local hero Richard Linklater, Austin seems capable of doing anything and making it look easy. Its recent productions include the DIY horror film Texas Cult House, the true-crime phenomenon The Yogurt Shop Murders, and Linklater’s Broadway adaptation Merrily We Roll Along, which he’s shooting over the next two decades. It may be the best city of all for festivals — including SXSW, the Austin Film Festival, and the TV-focused ATX. One of its best attributes is Austin Studios, a 20-acre complex that operates out of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport and boasts more than 200,000 square feet of production space. It’s operated by the city in partnership with the Austin Film Society. The region has more than 1,000 crew members and many great film programs, including the top-tier University of Texas at Austin, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. Austin also benefits from the previously noted Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which offers a grant rebate of up to 31%. And you’ve probably heard, many times, that Austin has some of the best food, music and nightlife anywhere in the world.
4. CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA
Calgary’s thriving film scene has helped drive growth up north for years, and recently enjoyed a major upswing in location-scouting requests. The city has plenty to offer: Its varied, affordable locations range from downtown cityscapes to stunning prairies, badlands and the Rockies. Recent productions have included Netflix’s My Life With the Walter Boys, MGM’s Billy the Kid, the long-running Canadian family drama Heartland, and the USA Network’s new national-park thriller Anna Pigeon. It’s a beautiful place, especially when you need snow, and it also makes financial sense: The Alberta Film and Television Tax Credit provides a rolling 22%-30% refund for all expenses in film and television projects. The credits can also be stacked with a Canadian federal tax credit that can bring the effective refund to 35% or more. Additionally, Alberta also has no provincial sales tax. The city is known for capable, experienced crews, and is home to two beloved festivals, the Calgary International Film Festival and the Calgary Underground Film Festival.
3. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Chicago has seen steady growth in recent years, thanks in part to reliable paychecks coming from TV shows including The Bear, Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and more. Its many very competitive incentive offerings include up to a 30% credit on qualified Illinois production spending and a 30% credit on Illinois salaries, up to $500,000 per worker, in certain positions. Chicago also offers a vast range of locations, from the iconic Chicago skyline to the shores of Lake Michigan to historic neighborhoods, and you’re not far from prairies and farmland. Equipment rental houses and post facilities abound — this is one of the world’s great cities. But for all its epic sweep, Chicago offers human-scale, and a cost of living that’s only slightly above the U.S. average, striking for such a metropolis. Its great educational institutions include Columbia College Chicago, DePaul University, and Northwestern. Yes, it gets cold and windy, but that’s a good thing — it weeds out people who lack grit and character, and makes the summers all the sweeter.
2. ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
Watch Vince Gilligan’s new Apple TV+ show Pluribus for a great sense of Albuquerque’s versatility: The city not only doubles for other locations, but also shines when it’s playing itself, whether star Rhea Seehorn is walking through its charming airport (two words that don’t usually go together) or freaking out in her killer-view neighborhood, which the city cleared the way to allow Pluribus to build. After basing two of the best TV shows ever in Albuquerque — Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul — you might think Gilligan would try somewhere else, especially since he’s not a local and is working with a big Apple budget. But when something works, it works — and Albuquerque works. Other recent projects to shoot locally include the Duffer brothers’ Stranger Things follow-up, Netflix’s The Boroughs, the pilot for Disney’s Holes, with Greg Kinnear and Aidy Bryant, and Lone Wolf, with Lily Gladstone and returning Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. Both Netflix and NBCUniversal have made massive commitments to keep making projects in Albuquerque for the next few years, and New Mexico’s tax incentives range from 25 to 40%. Albuquerque also provides Local Economic Development Act funds for qualified production facility builds, which is one reason Albuquerque is home to Netflix Studios Albuquerque. Film commissioner Cyndy McCrossen, whose family ties go back generations, is fantastic at helping productions of all sizes find the perfect place to shoot. Finally, New Mexico’s cost of living is below the national average, meaning you can actually afford to make a life in the Land of Enchantment.
1. TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Los Angeles just barely beat Toronto in a seven-game World Series, but Toronto is also giving L.A. a serious challenge when it comes to production. Among the shows shooting in Canada’s largest city are Prime Video’s The Boys, NBC’s Brilliant Minds, Peacock’s Copenhagen Test, AMC’s Interview With the Vampire, Hulu’s The Testaments, Prime’s Reacher, Netflix’s Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, and Paramount+’s Star Trek shows Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds. Recent films to shoot in Toronto include Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, 100 Sunset, Blood Lines, Dinner With Friends, and Nika & Madison, all of which also played at the Toronto International Film Festival, one of the most influential fests in the world. Toronto’s crews, post-production facilities, and equipment rental houses are plentiful and top-tier, and robust tax incentives make Toronto a natural choice for both Canadian and international productions. The federal tax credits are stackable with Ontario’s provincial tax credits, and all are substantial. The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit provides eligible Canadian productions with a fully refundable tax credit, available at a rate of 25% of qualified Canadian labor costs, while the Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit provides eligible production corporations, including international productions, with a 16% tax credit on qualified Canadian labor expenditures. The Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit is typically calculated as 35% of eligible Ontario labor costs for a qualifying production company, but international productions may opt for the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit, which is calculated as 21.5% of all qualifying production expenditures incurred in Ontario. Toronto is a city to delight your cast, your crew, and whoever does your accounting. It’s a thriving, vibrant city of roughly 3 million with more than 2 million square feet of studio space. It employs 35,000 industry professionals, and its many impressive film programs include the Toronto Film School — one of our 30 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada.
THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE AND WORK AS A MOVIEMAKER: SMALLER CITIES AND TOWNS
10. ASHLAND, OREGON
Known for awe-inspiring trees and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland welcomes a wide range of productions from Bruce Campbell’s Ernie & Emma to indie shorts to documentaries to stop-motion animation projects. Oregon’s incentives include a 25% rebate on goods and services and a 20% rebate on labor, and they go up to 27.5% and 22%, respectively, for projects that shoot primarily outside of the Portland area, including in Ashland. There are no fees to film in state parks, and there’s no state sales tax. Additionally, the state recently approved $40 million in capital construction funds for a new Creative Industries Complex to be built in Ashland on the campus of Southern Oregon University, which is on our list of the Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. It will include a new sound stage, digital design labs, and a large screening room, all of which will be available to local filmmakers.
9. ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
Known for beaches and year-round sunshine, St. Pete is an arts-loving town that embraces a vast range of film and TV projects: Recent features include Tyler Cornack’s new indie Mermaid, which premiered to acclaim at SXSW and juxtaposes St. Pete’s pastel beauty with dark comedy, and Hats Off to Love, a Hallmark Channel movie starring Holly Robinson Peete and Ginna Claire Mason. The vibe is laid back, film permit fees are non-existent, and the many arts institutions include the Dali Museum. If this sounds expensive, it’s not: St. Pete’s cost of living is barely above the national average. Though Florida has no statewide film incentives, the St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission offers a regional cash rebate incentive program that includes a 10-20% cash rebate on qualified expenditures with a local spend of at least $100,000. There are some caveats, including that the project must positively portray local locations.
8. KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
Nestled about an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains, Knoxville offers a lower cost of living than the national average and the kind of stunning natural beauty you can’t put a price on. You can film in plenty of gorgeous local locations for free, including the tranquil Augusta Quarry, World’s Fair Park downtown, and the charming Market Square and Gay Street, both of which have several buildings that lend themselves to period stories. Tennessee offers a cash rebate in the form of a 25% grant for projects with a qualified spend of at least $500,000, and Knoxville offers a film incentive of 5% of a film’s budget for productions inside Knox County. Recent films include director Paula Kay Hornick’s indie My Mayfly, and TV shows to shoot locally include 9-1-1: Nashville. Knoxville also draws a big basket of reality shows, including TV One’s Fatal Attraction, Oxygen’s Snapped, and ID Channel’s American Detective. Knoxville is also home to the Film Fest Knox, one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. It partners with the Knoxville-based Regal Cinemas chain.
7. SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
When you see the famous Georgia peach in the end credits, odds are good you’ve just seen some beautiful locations. Savannah is known for some of the loveliest architecture in the world, enchanting green spaces, and dreamy Spanish moss, all of which add flavor to productions ranging from Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias to the upcoming Michael Peña, Will Ferrell and Zac Ephron comedy Judgment Day. Though many comic-book projects have left Georgia, Savannah welcomed the second season of James Gunn’s Peacemaker, and it’s never bad to be on the good side of the co-CEO of DC Studios. Savannah also has a huge advantage as the home of the Savannah College of Art and Design, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. SCAD produces a steady stream of new industry professionals, opens its substantial backlot to productions that enlist SCAD students, and hosts the annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival, one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and 25 Coolest Film Festivals. Georgia’s impressive state tax incentive includes a 20% base transferable tax credit and a 10% uplift for including that peach logo. The cost of living in Savannah is somehow lower than the U.S. average, which is amazing when you consider its good weather, agreeable work-life balance, and boundless charm.
6. LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO
New Mexico’s second-largest city offers some of the best incentives you’ll find anywhere: In addition to the state’s minimum base credit of 25%, filmmakers shooting outside Albuquerque and Santa Fe get a 10% uplift that can be combined with other uplifts for up to 40% credit. New Mexico and local partners are committed to expanding Las Cruces’ film footprint, including with a new $21 million studio and soundstage facility located at Arrowhead Park. Recent local projects include the Milla Jovovich action-thriller Protector, Dead Letters starring Margo Martindale and Cole Sprouse, and Night Driver, which stars Josh Lucas, Alyssa Milano and David Arquette and is executive produced by Sean S. Cunningham, best known for the Friday the 13th franchise. Notable locations include the colorful Rio Grande Theatre, which turns 100 this year, and Las Cruces can double for locations as varied as Los Angeles and the Middle East. It is also close to the inimitable White Sands National Park and the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, which includes picturesque mountains, rugged canyons and caves, and a slot canyon. As we mentioned in our El Paso entry, the Texas city shares close ties with Las Cruces. It’s not uncommon for people to travel frequently between the two and for their respective film scenes to overlap.
5. SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA
About 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Santa Clarita is home to more than 60 sound stages and seven movie ranches, including the 240-acre Santa Clarita Movie Ranch, which offers an array of sets ranging from a Western town to Mexican and Middle Eastern villages to a classic diner and log cabin. But Santa Clarita can also stand in for Anytown, USA with its sedate residential streets and 40 city parks. It has welcomed productions including Paradise, N.C.I.S., Doctor Odyssey, S.W.A.T., Sugar, 9-1-1, and Beef. It’s also home tothe California Institute of the Arts, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. And since it’s in Los Angeles County, it’s convenient for when you need to drive south for in-person industry meetings. California offers a 35% tax credit for most productions, with uplifts, and funding is capped at a whopping $750 million annually.
4. KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Located 200 miles inland from Vancouver, with even more impressive tax incentives, Kamloops offers wondrous natural beauty, from waterfalls to forests to deserts to snowy mountaintops — and the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission is happy to be your guide. Priding itself on fast and friendly support, the commission can also walk you through those incentives, which can climb as high as 58.5%. Recent projects to shoot in the region include The Last of Us and Netflix’s Untamed. The film commission has more than 3,000 film-friendly locations in its database, and if you’re wondering where something was filmed, you can visit the commission’s helpful Movie Locations Map, which shows you the exact local locations of projects from Jurassic World Dominion to Maze Runner: The Death Cure to The X Files to The Sweet Hereafter to ads for your favorite energy drink. The Kamloops Film Society holds five film festivals annually — including the Main Kam Film Fest, Indigenous Film Fest, Cineloops French Film Fest, Black Film Fest and Queer Film Fest.
3. PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
The smallest state has landed some very big productions lately, including M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller Remain, JJ Abrams’ sci-fi film Ghostwriter, and two projects from Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, Appian Way: the Hayden Panettiere thriller Sleepwaker, and the documentary The Real Rod Serling about the Twilight Zone mastermind. The latter two films are co-productions with local film powerhouse Verdi Productions. And you know a place has arrived when it gets a Real Housewives franchise: The Real Housewives of Rhode Island debuts this year. Rhode Island offers a 30% transferable tax credit that includes above the line, and proudly proclaims that every $1 in tax credits brings $5.44 in economic activity to the state. The home of the Farrelly Brothers is very film friendly, with a professional and experienced crew base. And Providence is very close to lovely beaches and to Boston, one of the big cities on this list.
2. FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
At a time when much of the industry is struggling, Fort Lauderdale has reported an increase in films and TV expenditures for the last several years. Its glamour, beaches and year-round sunshine draw a wide range of productions, from features to TV shows like Peacock’s M.I.A. and ABC’s RJ Decker. Reality shows abound, from House Hunters to 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?, and there’s no shortage of commercial work for major brands. You’ll also see influencers or aspiring influencers every time you walk along the New River, sometimes dubbed the Venice of America. And if you don’t see any TikTok stars, you can at least distract yourself with the sight of some stupendous yachts. Broward County’s leadership is strongly committed to production, offering up to 30% in rebates, and the county also offers a $10,000 Emerging Filmmakers Grant to support resident filmmakers on the rise. The region is diverse in terms of both people and locations — from downtown skyscrapers to inviting beaches to the sprawling everglades to houses that look like they could be in the Northeast. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Film Commission, aka Film Lauderdale, offers attentive, round-the-clock help for filmmakers, and commissioner Sandy Lighterman also leads Film Florida, the nonprofit devoted to building a more robust and retentive film industry in the Sunshine State. Fort Lauderdale is a driving force in Florida’s achievements: Its film scene often overlaps with that of Miami, just 15 minutes away, as well as other South Florida coastal communities.
1. SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe is a quiet getaway for many Hollywood luminaries who like the privacy they’re granted in this arts-focused town of under 100,000. They get to avoid the Los Angeles and New York City crowds, but still benefit from an impressive industry presence. In recent months Santa Fe has welcomed productions including AMC’s Dark Winds, Netflix’s Ransom Canyon, Amazon’s Joseph of Egypt and Apple’s The Lost Bus, starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera. Santa Fe’s unflappable film commissioner, Jennifer LaBar-Tapia, can look out at the town’s rooftops and tell you the story of seemingly every downtown building. She’s also happy to tell you where to get a helicopter or trained buffalo for your production. If Santa Fe doesn’t have what you need, she’ll happily point you toward a community that does, whether its Albuquerque, Las Cruces, or Las Vegas (the one in New Mexico). But the odds are good that Santa Fe has it. In addition to the Bonanza Creek and the Mortenson’s Eaves movie ranches, it offers two 19,125-square foot sound stages at Santa Fe Studios, and northern New Mexico’s largest studio space, Aspect Media Village, which has six soundstages totaling 75,000 square feet, as well as apartments, office space, yoga, electric car charging, and more. Santa Fe’s costs are above the national average, but so is the quality of life: Locals love the endless hiking trails, skiing, and countless options for foodies. The Oscar-qualifying Santa Fe International Film Festival unifies the New Mexico film scene each year by bringing together both international award contenders and locally rooted indies, including many from Indigenous filmmakers. You can spend your free time riding the Sky Railway train line featured in Oppenheimer, watching new and classic films at the Jean Cocteau Cinema, or browsing the aisles at Beastly Books, all of which are owned by locally based Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin. The Sky Railway is co-owned by Bill Banowsky, an entrepreneur and filmmaker who also owns the Sky Cinemas, including a new state-of-the-art location at Aspect Media Village. And you’re already aware of the New Mexico tax incentives from our Albuquerque and Las Cruces entries, but let’s mention the ones specific to Santa Fe: Productions are eligible for up to 35% in refundable tax credits within the town. This is Santa Fe’s fourth consecutive year at the top of our list of Smaller Cities and Towns on our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.
Main image: A free outdoor screening during the Toronto International Film Festival in the top big city on our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026. Photo courtesy of TIFF
