Oklahoma City placed 15th on the list of larger cities preferred by moviemakers, falling in behind Cleveland and ahead of Memphis. Tulsa was listed seventh among smaller cities, behind Providence, Rhode Island, and ahead of Richmond, Virginia.

The news was heralded by Abby Kurin, executive director of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture, and other city and state officials.

“Tulsa FMAC is dedicated to making Tulsa known as a film destination, so being included on this MovieMaker list broadly cements that status,” Kurin said. “We are grateful to all the talented filmmakers and film crew that call Tulsa home, and we look forward to continuing to assist all the producers that choose Tulsa for their next project.”

Ray Hoyt, president of Tulsa Regional Tourism, said creativity and broad community support combine to make Tulsa a special place for filmmakers. When the pandemic arrived in early 2020, he said supporters of moviemaking identified ways to innovate and support local creative industries, eventually establishing a COVID-19-related relief fund described as unique in the nation.

MovieMaker editor-in-chief Tim Molloy said that initiative was noticed.

“This was obviously a very different year for our annual list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker – it’s a time of incredible upheaval, but also opportunity,” Molloy said. “Many in the film and TV industry are looking to change their way of life, and many cities and towns across the country are welcoming these storytellers with open arms.”

MovieMaker said it relied on surveys of industry professionals, research on state tax incentives, feedback following recent local productions, and on personal visits to cities to settle on its list of top spots for movie makers to live and work.

This story originally ran on the JournalRecord.com.