We’ve known for years that Asheville is a great place to live and work and the rest of the world is quickly beginning to agree. Moviemaker.com recently agreed in their post Asheville Named Top Spot To Be A Filmmaker. The internet post places Asheville, N.C. as the number one choice to live and work as a filmmaker, beating out other destinations such as San Francisco, Boulder, Colo., New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. With an abundance of great shooting locations, an eclectic nightlife and bustling downtown overflowing with culture, it’s clear Asheville has really hit its stride. While the number of feature films to be filmed in Asheville has yet to explode, the surrounding areas and scenic vistas at destinations such as DuPont State Forest and Pisgah National Forest make it an ideal location for films looking to capitalize on the rugged beauty of western North Carolina’s abundant forests. Check out a short segment of the article below and visit www.moviemaker.com to read the entire post.

Asheville Named Top Spot To Be A Filmmaker

Voted the most beautiful place in the United States by Good Morning, America, Asheville sets the gold standard for best small town moviemaking. From the Pisgah National Forest to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Art Deco downtown to the Biltmore Estate, it has a vibrant history with productions like Last of the Mohicans, The Green Mile, The Hunt for Red October, The Hunger Games—and who could ever forget the Dirty Dancing lift scene from Lake Lure?

With nearly a dozen local film festivals (including the Chuck Norris-inspired ActionFest), community support from the Asheville Cinema Society, the Asheville Film Society, Asheville Area Arts Council, Screen Artists Co-op, and Western North Carolina Film Commission, the town is chock full of pre- and post- production facilities and some of the friendliest crew around. “The Hunger Games would not have been possible without all of the support from the local community and WNC Film Commission,” said director Gary Ross.

It’s known by many names: the Paris of the South, the San Francisco of the East, or simply Beer City USA. You might also make the trek to Asheville for another reason: the generous North Carolina tax credit (25 percent for projects of $250,000 or more with a per project cap of $20 million). As an added bonus, state-owned property can be used fee-free.

“We’re tremendously proud of Asheville,” said Amanda Baranski, Director of the Western North Carolina Film Commission, “The region has a heritage of hard work and innovation. There’s a strong work ethic and sense of collaboration that helps get the job done.”