Vancouver beat by another city for best place to live, work as a filmmaker

Sorry, Hollywood North, you’re apparently not the best place in the world to live and work as a filmmaker, as another Canadian city recently beat out Vancouver.

Moviemaker.com recently put out its list of the best places to live and work as a filmmaker in North America, and Toronto bested Vancouver.

Toronto ranked at the top of the list, beating out all Canadian and American cities.

Meanwhile, Vancouver came in at number five.

Various factors were considered in the ranking, including cost of living, available schools and availability of work.

The list was compiled after questionnaires were sent to film commissions, conversations with movie makers, and research into the cost of living and financial initiatives.

Moviemaker.com highlighted several major productions and projects that have and will take place in Vancouver,

“Vancouver’s long list of high-profile recent film and TV projects — from HBO’s The Last of Us to A24’s Heretic to Netflix’s Virgin River and The Fall of the House of Usher — speaks for itself.”

It also cites Vancouver’s livability, with the Economist recently calling Vancouver the fifth-most livable city in the world.

“We promise you can find whatever location you need in this affordable British Columbia film kingdom, from the friendly, modern city streets to the timeless cobblestones of Gastown to the rain forest of Stanley Park to the shores of Kitsilano, a lovely beach that also offers mountain views from its sandy beaches.”

Calgary also made the list at number eight thanks to its “unpretentious charm.”

One other BC city also made the list of the best small towns to film in.

Kamloops came in at number five in that category.

“We consider Kamloops, returning to our list after its debut last year, to be a true discovery — and a fast-rising film hub where you can still make a name for yourself before everyone’s talking about it.”

If you’re considering a career in filmmaking and don’t know where to go, this list is a great resource.