SAN ANTONIO \u2013 San Antonio\u2019s Arts & Culture Department and the city\u2019s film commission are celebrating a jump in MovieMaker Magazine\u2019s \u201cBest Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city jumped from 20th to 14th in the top 25 \u201cBig Cities\u201d in the U.S. and Canada category, according to a city news release. This is the eighth year San Antonio has been ranked. <\/p>\n
\u201cSan Antonio thrives in filmmaking and livability, with the best incentives in Texas and simply some of the best incentives anywhere,\u201d said Tim Molloy, editor of MovieMaker Magazine.<\/p>\n
MovieMaker Magazine compiles its rankings using industry surveys, production spending, tax incentives and personal visits to cities and the local film offices, the release said. <\/p>\n
Five other Texas markets fill out the rankings \u2014 Fort Worth, Houston, Dallas and Austin rank above the Alamo City. To view the full 25 cities ranked, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n San Antonio the \u2018most financially competitive destination in Texas\u2019 for film projects<\/p>\n Perhaps the city\u2019s most well-known production to film in town in recent memory was \u201c1923<\/a>,\u201d a prequel to \u201cYellowstone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSan Antonio\u2019s film industry is gaining momentum, with more productions recognizing the value of our crews, locations, and resources,\u201d said San Antonio Film Commissioner Christine Hill. \u201cWith strong incentive support in place and growing industry confidence, the city is well-positioned for continued growth in media production.\u201d<\/p>\n Hill was tapped as the commission\u2019s new leader<\/a> last March following the departure of former commissioner Kim LeBlanc.<\/p>\n In November, the city pushed through a record expansion<\/a> to its film incentives package. The updated program offers a 45% rebate package that can be combined with statewide incentives for prospective projects filming in the San Antonio metropolitan area.<\/p>\n The maximum award for any single project is $250,000, subject to available funds, city officials said. The program in San Antonio and state incentives encourage local hires and veterans on a production\u2019s cast and crew. <\/p>\n The base rebate increases from 7.5% to 10% and includes two potential 2% uplifts for meeting local and veteran hire thresholds.<\/p>\n \u201cThese enhancements position San Antonio as the most financially competitive destination in Texas for film projects,\u201d Thursday\u2019s news release said.<\/p>\n All eyes on the Lone Star State<\/p>\n San Antonio\u2019s film incentives push was compounded by work at the state level to churn new funding into resources around tax incentives and support.<\/p>\n During the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature, lawmakers \u2014 with the help of some media figures \u2014 pushed those incentives through with a new state law<\/a> increasing funding for the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP).<\/p>\n Senate Bill 22<\/a> increases funding for TMIIIP from $200 to $300 million per biennium. Control of the fund will be housed within Governor Greg Abbott\u2019s office, specifically the Music, Film, Television and Multimedia Office.<\/p>\n However, with incentives and funding sources relatively secured, calls for production spaces, both big and small, arise. <\/p>\n Austin Monthly Magazine reports that the area could see \u201cmore than a million square feet\u201d of studio space built out over the coming months. At least two studio lot projects are expected in Bastrop<\/a>.<\/p>\n In San Marcos, Hill Country Studios, a 12-stage production lot, was supposed to break ground in August 2025; however, photos taken by KSAT of the site<\/a> early last year showed an empty, tree-filled lot.<\/p>\n