Call it the Hollywood of Vancouver Island. If you’ve got a knack for filmmaking, grab your camera because Victoria is the place to be.
MovieMaker has announced that our very own city has made its Best Small Cities and Towns to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2022 list, claiming the sixth spot.
The Los Angeles-based film magazine and website compiles the annual list based on surveys, production spending and tax incentives.
MovieMaker editor-in-chief Tim Molloy recalls past productions that transformed parts of town into landmark locations like Napa Valley, Central Park and the French Quarter.
Molloy finds Victoria an impressive, convenient and gorgeous locale, offering a delightful work-life balance, especially for people who love the outdoors.
The writer-producer of the Netflix series Maid, Molly Smith Metzler, is on the same page, noting she would “jump at the chance to shoot here again.”
“Because it has everything you want when shooting, plus the feeling of being somewhere very warm and special,” Metzler said.
The 2021 series, which was filmed entirely in the Greater Victoria area, features 160 plus local spots. Locals can now visit some of the iconic shooting locations thanks to Netflix’s interactive map.
Here’s the complete list of the best small cities and towns to live and work as a moviemaker, according to MovieMaker:
- New Orleans (repeating at #1 for the second year)
- Savannah (up two spots from last year)
- Santa Fe, NM
- Pittsburgh
- Tulsa (up two spots from last year)
- Victoria, BC
- Providence
- Wilmington, NC (up one spot from last year)
- Richmond
- Ashland, OR
Meanwhile, MovieMaker has also shared its 2022 Best Cities to Live and Work as a Moviemaker list, compiling major cities across North America.
Albuquerque, Toronto (up 10 spots from last year), Atlanta, Montreal (up three spots from last year) and Boston made up the Top 5.
