South San Antonio News

San Antonio has once again been recognized as one of the best places to live and work for moviemakers, marking its sixth consecutive year on MovieMaker's prestigious list. The city's Department of Arts & Culture and Film Commission made the announcement, highlighting San Antonio's thriving film industry and its attractive incentives for filmmakers.

The list, which features 25 major U.S. cities, includes three other Texas cities: El Paso, Dallas, and Austin. San Antonio stands out among other key film industry locations such as Albuquerque, Atlanta, and Toronto. MovieMaker compiles its annual list based on surveys, production spending, tax incentives, additional research, and personal visits.

Tim Molloy, Editor of MovieMaker Magazine, praised San Antonio's film culture, incentives, and cinematic locations. He stated, "San Antonio is one of the country's best film towns, with the best incentives you'll find in Texas, a film culture that includes some 15 movie theaters, at least a dozen festivals and film societies, plus very cinematic locations."

The city's Film Commission played a crucial role in providing data that supported San Antonio's selection. The commission offers free permits on 250 city-owned locations and facilitates turnkey film production. Additionally, the San Antonio Supplement Film Incentive, along with a growing film culture and expert staff, were cited as reasons for the city's inclusion on the list.

San Antonio's commitment to supporting the film industry is evident in its investment in the Supplemental San Antonio Film Incentive Program. This program provides qualified productions with up to a 7.5-percent rebate on approved San Antonio spending and eligible expenditures. When combined with the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP), projects filming in San Antonio can receive a total incentive of up to 30 percent. This makes San Antonio's film incentive program the most competitive in the state.

The impact of the film industry on San Antonio's economy is evident. Notable productions filmed in the city in the past year include feature films, documentaries, TV/streaming shows, and commercials. The presence of these productions has resulted in positive economic benefits for the local cast, crew, vendors, and support services.

Krystal Jones, Executive Director of the Department of Arts & Culture, expressed optimism about the future of the media production industry in San Antonio. She stated, "We have noticed that this year the size and caliber of film productions inquiring about and coming to San Antonio continues to increase, resulting in a positive benefit economically." Jones believes that with the end of industry strikes and fully funded film incentive programs, San Antonio will experience further growth in its media production industries.

As San Antonio celebrates its sixth consecutive year as a top film-friendly city, the Department of Arts & Culture encourages filmmakers to take advantage of the city's incentives and explore the abundant opportunities it offers. For more information about filming in San Antonio and the Supplemental Film Incentive Program, visit FilmSanAntonio.com and @filmsanantonio.

For MovieMaker's complete list of Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker for 2024, visit MovieMaker.com.