Chicago named best city for indie filmmakers

If you’re an independent filmmaker (or just unemployed and want to become one), MovieMaker magazine put together its annual list of the top cities to host indie filmmakers and productions. Last year’s No. 1, Austin, got bumped to No. 10 in favor of Chicago, which was certainly the most visible location last year since The Dark Knight largely called it home.

The list goes on to include the obvious (New York, Miami) and the less familiar (Boise, Wichita and Bozeman, Mt.). Paste's stomping ground, Atlanta, came in at No. 2.

By its own admission, the list reformed this year to include 25 cities (up from 10) and a conscious effort to consider “those places that offer the perfect combination of employment opportunities, reasonable costs of living, strong quality of life, affordable home prices and, of course, financial incentives,” not a surprise given frantic economic times. The 25 cities:

1. Chicago, Ill.
2. Atlanta, Ga.
3. New York, N.Y.
4. Shreveport, La.
5. Albuquerque, N.M.
6. Boston, Mass.
7. Stamford, Conn.
8. Memphis, Tenn.
9. Milwaukee, Wis.
10. Austin, Tex.
11. Detroit, Mich.
12. Miami, Fla.
13. Seattle, Wa.
14. Portland, Ore.
15. Philadelphia, Pa.
16. Sedona, AZ
17. Salt Lake City, Utah
18. Wilmington, N.C.
19. Boise, Idaho
20. Denver, Colo.
21. Bozeman, Mont.
22. Wichita, Kan.
23. San Diego, Calif.
24. Richmond, Va.
25. Des Moines, Iowa

Related links:
MovieMaker.com
MovieMaker.com: Last year's list of Best Movie Cities
AtlantaFilmFestival.com