Cincinnati Nabs Spot on MovieMaker's Top Cities to Live and Work In for Seventh Year

Cincinnati is continuing its transformation into a Midwest Hollywood as it, for the seventh year in a row, snagged a spot on MovieMaker Magazine’s “Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker” list. The Queen City remains in the No. 11 spot where it first landed in 2022.

MovieMaker ranks cities based on surveys, production spending, tax incentives, additional research and, when possible, personal visits. The magazine highlighted Cincinnati’s geographical and architectural chameleon charm in our ability to pose as other places, whether it be Chicago in the ‘50s or, thanks to an abundance of Italianate architecture, a European city in a period film.

“Its flexibility also owes a bit to geography: With Kentucky just across the Ohio River, it straddles the Midwest and South and reflects the flavors of both. Filmmakers can really stretch out and enjoy multiple types of terrain across both states without spending much time in transit,” the magazine notes.

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Cincinnati’s below-national-average cost of living also makes it a draw as a residence for filmmakers, with Film Cincinnati saying the number of local crew members has tripled in the last five years, meaning crews can handle up to three large feature films at once now. And an economic impact study by the UC Economic Center, commissioned by Film Cincinnati, showed Cincinnati’s local film industry created nearly 1,900 jobs and brought in $258 million between 2019 and 2022.

Ohio also offers an enticing tax credit, which will nearly double starting in July after state lawmakers voted to pass the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit, a tax credit increase from $40 million to $75 million. Film Cincinnati said it was a chief lobbyist in support of this increase, which it says gives Ohio a competitive edge among 34 other states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which also offer film production incentives.

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“This endorsement and the increase in the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit by state officials is already paying off with new projects for the coming years,” Film Cincinnati Executive Director Kristen Schlotman said in a press release.

MovieMaker also highlighted the Over-the-Rhine Film Festival, which celebrates diversity in filmmaking and is helmed by the disability community, as a notable festival, writing, “...it uses cinema as a way to build empathy, seeking out dynamic storytelling and unique voices.”

Cincinnati was the highest-ranking Ohio city on the list, with Cleveland coming in at No. 18. Toronto took the top spot.

In 2023, Film Cincinnati supported 26 projects, including Alto Knights (formerly known as Wise Guys), starring Robert De Niro and directed by Barry Levinson and which is slated to be released this fall. Ben Stiller has also been in town filming Nutcrackers in various locations throughout Greater Cincinnati. In February, filming for Control Freaks, from horror and genre-bending director Shal Ngo, will take place in Covington.

“This past year was a roller coaster ride for the film industry including Film Cincinnati,” said Schlotman. “We look forward to an exciting 2024.”

Slideshow

41 Movies You Might Not Know Were Filmed in Cincinnati

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