MovieMaker Magazine recently announced its annual list of Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, and I was delighted to see our nearby Southern Oregon town of Ashland on the list (for the seventh year in a row!). The magazine divides its list into small- and large-city categories, with 10 slots allotted to the former and 20 to the latter. Ashland, the smallest town to make the cut (population just over 21,000), came in at No. 6, with the periodical’s editors calling it a “pound-for-pound cinematic powerhouse” and lauding its “gloriously out-sized film culture.”

The ranking was based on extensive questionnaires, editorial research and on-site visits and looked at qualities such as film culture, tax breaks, standard of living and locally shot films. Given what I know about Ashland and having lived in the area for more than 10 years, I’m not at all surprised the editors decided the answer to their question, “Would we want to live and work there?” was a resounding “Yes!”

Those who live and work here always laud the quality of life: pleasant climate, access to outdoor recreation, varied and lovely landscapes, reasonable cost of living and a relaxed pace. All these aspects draw filmmakers here, but there’s much to appreciate in terms of their industry, too. Local producers and directors credit the community’s commitment to the arts and culture and supportive and knowledgable audiences with creating a highly creative and hard-working entrepreneurial atmosphere. The presence of the 85-year-old Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Southern Oregon University are huge contributors. The Festival’s actors and crew cross over into film, and SOU notes its Digital Cinema Department is the fastest-growing major on campus. A large number of film industry retirees who continue to work and mentor young filmmakers provide a wealth of experience and knowledge.

Infrastructure doesn’t suffer here, with eight production facilities and 14 equipment rental houses providing the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. Locations within a few hours’ drive range from ocean beaches to high desert, forested mountains, lakes and rivers. What can’t be had here can be accessed via non-stop flights from the regional airport to Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles, which also means moviemakers can live here and take work outside the area when they wish. Film Southern Oregon, a nonprofit development council, notes that industry spending in the region reached $8 million last year, providing an additional boon to the area.

Ashland hosts its 19th Ashland Independent Film Festival this April, an event MovieMaker has named as one of its Film Festivals Worth the Entrance Fee. Screenings sell out quickly, and films that have done well there have gone on to win awards and wider audiences. Recent and current film projects include the Netflix documentary Fire in Paradise and a new series starring Jim Belushi, now a resident of the Rogue Valley. You may have seen Ashland in 2014’s Wild, and a new feature produced locally, Phoenix, Oregon, has a national release on March 20 of this year.

It’s nice to see a local community with such a positive image in the film world. Annie Lundgren, the producer-director of Phoenix, Oregon, has noted that it’s easy to attract actors and crew to work here, as it is a great place to visit . . . spouses and family members often come along to visit during a shoot. She says the actors love Ashland’s hotels, restaurants, downtown and beauty; they come here to work but often stay on for vacation in a perfect example of bleisure travel. Younger filmmakers have discovered it as a great place to raise a family away from LA’s bustle and competitive atmosphere.

So add one more reason to come check out Ashland and Southern Oregon . . . a burgeoning film hub!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor