ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Don't be surprised if you hear "action" being yelled in St. Petersburg in the future. The industry publication Moviemaker lists the city as #25 on the top 25 places to live and work as a film maker.
Visit St. Pete/Clearwater film commissioner Tony Armer said it's an accomplishment because the state of Florida doesn't offer tax incentives to production companies to shoot here.
“That’s why we’re not getting those big $20 million “Dolphin Tale” films and those types of movies showing here,” Armer said, “So we do have a local incentive program here in Pinellas County.”
One incentive program was approved on Tuesday by the Pinellas County commission, giving $500,000 to local production company digital caviar to produce a film here in March.
"'A Taste of Love' — it's a film in the vain of Hallmark," Mike Brown of Digital Caviar Productions said. “I know a lot of people are saying it’s a Hallmark Film, but we would love to have Hallmark pick it up.”
Brown said he can't think of a better place to shoot films then right here at home.
“I think with the locations,” Brown said. “I think with the aspiring film makers, with the artists in different mediums, I think it’s this amazing thing that’s taking place.”
Officials with Visit St. Pete/Clearwater said in 2019 the county had its biggest year ever, hosting 15 feature films shot in the area adding nearly $14 million to the local economy.
Here’s the complete list of 25 best cities for film makers to work and live in:
- Albuquerque
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Chicago
- Vancouver
- Philadelphia
- Montreal
- Miami
- Boston
- Calgary, Alberta
- Toronto
- Dallas
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Oklahoma City
- Memphis
- San Diego
- Baltimore
- Portland
- Washington DC
- Kansas City, Missouri
- San Antonio
- Seattle
- Milwaukee
- St. Petersburg