The San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture along with the San Antonio Film Commission on Jan. 18 announced San Antonio, for a fifth straight year, has been named one of MovieMaker magazine’s Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.
Featuring 25 big U.S. cities, San Antonio joins Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston and Austin on the list, and is highlighted among other renowned film industry destinations, such as New Orleans, Atlanta and Vancouver, a news release said.
MovieMaker compiles its annual list based on surveys, production spending, tax incentives, additional research and personal visits whenever possible, the release said, adding that MovieMaker tapped San Antonio because of free, streamlined permitting for filming on 250 city-owned locations; reinstatement of a local supplemental film incentive; and a growing film culture supported by local educational opportunities, such as The University of Texas at San Antonio’s new bachelor’s degree-focused film and media studies program.
Additionally, other factors include overall costs of living, production resources, friendliness and authenticity, the release said based on MovieMaker’s selection factors.
MovieMaker editor Tim Molloy said San Antonio has a rich film history, adding that the city is friendly, affordable and photogenic.
“San Antonio's experienced, economical crews can and do handle every type of production, from indie films to commercials to unscripted shows and docs. It's a great place to get regular work while saving money to make your own films, drawing on the impressive talent all around,” Molloy said in a statement.
The release said a sampling of notable productions filmed in San Antonio in the past year include feature films and documentaries, such as “The Answer to My Prayer,” “Peregrinacion a San Antonio,” and “Looking for Lee and Liza.”
Television and streaming productions that have filmed in San Antonio in the past year include “American Ninja Warrior,” “My True Crime Story,” “Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?,” “Edge of Engineering,” “The Dead Files,” “VICE Media: Todos Los Tacos X Camarena,” and “Roadtrip Amerika,” the release said.
Commercials filmed locally include Travel Texas, The Storied Secrets of San Antonio; Spectrum; SafeLink Wireless; Kroger; Tecovas; and Toyota, the release said.
Krystal Jones, arts and culture department director, said earning this accolade five years in a row shows how San Antonio is a top-tier city to make movies due to experiences both on and off set.
“In 2022, the city of San Antonio made it clear that filmmaking is a priority with the reinstatement of our local film incentive. Since then, we have noticed the size and caliber of film productions inquiring about and coming to San Antonio continues to increase, resulting in San Antonio cast, crew, vendors and support services seeing a positive benefit economically,” Jones said in a statement.
