Tulsa Recognized As One Of Top 10 Places To Live, Work For Filmmakers

Tulsa has been named one of the “best places to live and work as a filmmaker.”

The magazine MovieMaker has named Tulsa to its list of best places to live and work as a filmmaker. MovieMaker said the list is based on recent productions in the area and how they are coping with the pandemic. 

Abby Kurin, the executive director of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture, said being named to this list cements the hard work the office has been doing to make Tulsa a film destination since opening in 2013. 

Tulsa is listed as number 7 on MovieMakers list of Small Cities and Towns to live as a filmmaker. 

"Since we launched this film office in 2013, a key focus has been to make Tulsa known as a top film destination," said Kurin.

Kurin said Tulsa can be appealing to filmmakers because of the film-friendly locations. 

"You can be based in let's say downtown Tulsa and really within that 30-mile radius, you have access to every kind of landscape and locations that really you can think of," Kurin said. 

Kurin said the popularity of Tulsa as a film destination has grown in recent years, doubling the number of productions in just a few years. 

"In 2017 we worked with 11 productions, that number jumped to 32 in 2019, in 2020 we assisted 25 productions even through a pandemic," Kurin said.  

While the pandemic has been tough for many filmmakers, Kurin said her office created the Tulsa County Film Recovery Program. It’s funded through the CARES Act and helps production crews keep working, all while helping the Tulsa economy. 

"They are staying in our hotels, they are utilizing our vendors, and they are shopping and dining in our restaurants and stores," Kurin said. 

Kurin said through the program, they have been able to save 380 contract jobs for film crews on projects in the Tulsa area. 

To learn more about Tulsa's Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture, click here.