Best Cities to Live and Work in Film & Television 2026

Last Updated 7 days ago

The best city to work in film depends on your department, how you get your first calls, and what it costs to live between jobs. A big studio market can be a good fit for an established crew member. If you’re just starting out, access to local indie shoots, commercials and people who will call you back can matter more.

Use the table to narrow your list. Each city section has more on the local market, with links to the relevant HTFS guide for studios, rentals, permits and crew resources. Production figures are labelled by year and geography because shoot days, project counts and spending measure different things.

Film city	Common work	Where to start	Living costs to check
Toronto	Episodic TV, features, commercials	Indie sets, commercial crews	High rent and travel across the GTA
Los Angeles	Features, TV, ads, online video	Indies, shorts, digital shoots	High rent and car costs
Atlanta	Episodic TV, features, commercials	Indies, commercials, day calls	Car and studio commute
Vancouver	Episodic TV, features, VFX	Indies, rentals, trainee routes	High rent and regional travel
London	High-end TV, features, commercials	Shorts, commercials, trainee routes	High rent and rail fares
New York City	TV, commercials, indies, post	Indies, commercials, PA training	High rent and borough travel
Montréal	French-language TV, features, VFX	Indies, co-ops, bilingual sets	Rent and winter transport
Sydney	Drama, features, commercials	Indies, rentals, trainee work	High rent and cross-city travel
Budapest	International features and TV	Local service companies, short shoots	Rent near stages and transport
Paris	Domestic features, TV, commercials	French-language indies, commercials	High rent and regional commutes
Rome	Features, scripted TV, studio work	Local production companies, indies	Rent and cross-city travel
Cape Town	Commercials, service features and TV	Local commercial producers, indies	Rent near work and reliable transport
Prague	Service features and TV, commercials	Local service companies, commercials	Rent and out-of-centre travel
Madrid / Canary Islands	Features, scripted series, commercials	Spanish-language crews, local producers	Metro rent or island travel
Berlin / Babelsberg / Munich	Features, TV, commercials, post	Indies, commercials, local traineeships	Price each metro separately

Looking for a city that isn’t on this list? Browse the Film City Guides directory.

Toronto, Canada

Production snapshot
Ontario recorded C$2.7 billion in film and TV production spending in 2025, up 5.7% on the province’s measure. Roughly C$809 million came from domestic production. ACTRA Toronto’s production figures.

Toronto gives you several markets to work in. Long-form crews can pursue series and features, while smaller commercial shoots and indie sets are useful places to meet people who hire day players. Start with how to get your first set job and check the relevant department route with IATSE 873 or IATSE 667. ACTRA Toronto covers performers and the ACCP is a commercial-production resource. Toronto filming guide.

Strengths
Work across domestic and service production, plus a separate commercial market.

Challenges
Budget for rent and for getting to stages or locations outside downtown.

---

---

Los Angeles, USA

Production snapshot
FilmLA recorded 4,171 on-location shoot days in Greater Los Angeles in Q3 2026, down 4.8% year over year. Feature shoot days rose 2.1% and online-content shoot days rose 16.3%, while commercials fell 15.9%. These figures cover permitted location work in FilmLA’s reporting area. FilmLA’s Q3 2026 report.

LA has enough independent features, shorts and digital shoots to build credits outside studio productions. For a first crew job, pick the department you want and start meeting the people who staff it before you move. Los Angeles filming guide.

Strengths
A wide range of production types, specialist vendors and experienced crew.

Challenges
High overhead and long drives can make stretches between bookings expensive.

---

Atlanta, USA

Production snapshot
The Georgia Film Office reported 280 productions and about US$2 billion in direct statewide spending in FY2026, compared with US$2.3 billion in FY2025. More projects and less spending can happen in the same year. Georgia Film Office.

Atlanta’s stages support large features and series, and the state’s production mix also includes independent films and commercials. Build contacts on smaller jobs and work out which stages and locations you can reach for an early call. Atlanta filming guide.

Strengths
Major studio facilities and a mix of local and incoming work.

Challenges
A car and the commute to suburban stages can change your monthly budget.

---

---

Vancouver, Canada

Production snapshot
British Columbia’s total film and TV production volume was C$2.69 billion in 2024/25, up 6.3% on the CMPA measure. The number is provincial and includes activity beyond location shoots. CMPA Profile 2024/25.

Vancouver is an option for episodic TV crews and for people targeting VFX or post. Early in your career, look at local independent productions and rental houses alongside the trainee or permittee route for your department. Vancouver filming guide.

Strengths
Long-form production and a separate VFX and post market.

Challenges
Check the commute to stages in Burnaby, North Vancouver and elsewhere in the region before choosing where to live.

---

London, England

Production snapshot
The BFI reported £6.1 billion in UK film and high-end TV production spending in the 12 months to June 2026. That is a national total covering those two production categories. BFI Research and Statistics Unit.

Greater London and the surrounding studio belt serve large features, high-end TV and commercials. Look for trainee routes and small productions, then check where the work actually happens. A call at Pinewood, Shepperton or Leavesden is a different commute from a job in central London. London filming guide.

Strengths
Deep crew base and access to major stages, vendors and post facilities.

Challenges
Check both rent and first-train times for the studio belt. Early call times can narrow your options.

---

---

New York City, USA

Training and first credits
New York’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment runs the Made in NY Production Assistant Training Program for eligible New Yorkers. The city also lists a post-production training route with separate eligibility.

New York suits crew who can move among episodic TV, commercials and independent work. Track where the people in your department actually get booked, then price the trip at crew call across boroughs or out to stages. New York City filming guide.

Strengths
Multiple production markets in one city, plus an active post sector.

Challenges
Housing is a major fixed cost. Check late-night and early-morning transit before committing to a neighbourhood.

---

Montréal, Canada

Production snapshot
Québec’s film and television production value rose to C$2.98 billion in 2024/25 on the provincial statistics agency’s measure. The province-wide total reflects several types of production. Institut de la statistique du Québec.

Montréal has domestic French-language production alongside service work, animation and VFX. French expands the jobs and crews you can work with. For early credits, check local indie productions and filmmaking co-ops such as Main Film. Montréal filming guide.

Strengths
Domestic French-language work and a separate animation, VFX and post market.

Challenges
Budget for winter transport and ask what language your target department uses day to day.

---

---

Sydney, Australia

Production snapshot
Screen Australia measured A$2.7 billion in national drama production spending in 2024/25, up 43%. New South Wales accounted for 31% of that spend. International projects drove much of the national increase. Screen Australia Drama Report.

Sydney has stages and experienced crews for large projects, plus a commercial and independent market. Look for small local shoots and rental-house work alongside traineeships. The projects driving the national spend can vary considerably year to year. Sydney filming guide.

Strengths
Major stages and a mix of local and inbound production.

Challenges
Check rent and travel across the metro area against how often your department actually books.

---

Budapest, Hungary

Production snapshot
Hungary’s National Film Institute reports HUF 401.2 billion in national film industry spending in 2025. Budapest and its surrounding stages are part of that market. National Film Institute Hungary.

Budapest is a place to look for international service production, especially if you already have a department and can connect with a local production service company. For junior crew, ask which working languages are used on set and where prep and shooting take place. Budapest filming guide.

Strengths
Large stages and experienced service crews for period and contemporary work.

Challenges
Language and access to local hiring networks matter. Check the cost of getting to outlying studios.

---

---

Paris, France

Production snapshot
France’s CNC counted 290 approved films in 2025, down from 309 in 2024. These are national approvals, including qualifying co-productions. CNC’s 2025 production report.

Paris has domestic features and TV, advertising, and international shoots. If you want to crew locally, build contacts in the French-speaking department you want to work in and check which jobs are based outside central Paris. Paris filming guide.

Strengths
A domestic production base alongside advertising and co-productions.

Challenges
Price housing and travel together. An affordable room far from prep or early calls can cost you time and bookings.

---

Rome, Italy

Production snapshot
Italy’s 2025 cinema and audiovisual report put the national production cost of films at €799 million, down 4.6% from 2024. The figure covers films across Italy. Italy for Movies’ report summary.

Cinecittà gives Rome a substantial studio base, and the city serves Italian-language work and inbound productions. For early set work, get to know local producers and department contacts, particularly if your Italian is still developing. Rome filming guide.

Strengths
Established facilities for features, scripted TV and period work.

Challenges
Check working language and where companies do prep before choosing housing.

---

---

Cape Town, South Africa

Local production update
The city’s updated filming by-law took effect in November 2025. Its Film Permit Office is the starting point for local production information.

Cape Town’s commercial and service work uses a mix of stages and locations. For a new crew member, the first step is to meet local production companies and find out when their busiest stretches are. Cape Town filming guide.

Strengths
Commercials and international service shoots alongside local production.

Challenges
Ask local crew how work is spread across the year and how they get to location at call time.

---

Prague, Czech Republic

Production snapshot
The Czech Film Commission reported approximately €381 million in inward investment from film productions in Czechia in 2025. The figure describes international production investment nationally. Czech Film Commission.

Prague has experienced service crews and stages such as Barrandov. Contact local service companies and commercial crews to find out how junior calls are filled and whether you need Czech for your department. Prague filming guide.

Strengths
Period locations, established studios and international service work.

Challenges
Budget for transport beyond the city centre and plan for gaps between incoming shows.

---

---

Madrid & Canary Islands, Spain

Production snapshot
Madrid Film Office counted at least 71 features, 52 series and more than 410 ads filmed in the city in 2025. Those figures apply to Madrid. Madrid Film Office.

Madrid supports domestic series and commercials alongside inbound work. Treat the Canary Islands as a separate job market. Ask island production companies where they hire locally and how they handle travel or accommodation. Madrid filming guide.

Strengths
A mix of series, features and commercials in Madrid, plus a separate location market in the Canaries.

Challenges
Spanish helps on local crews. Price transport and accommodation separately if you’re comparing Madrid with island work.

---

Germany (Berlin / Babelsberg / Munich)

Production snapshot
Medienboard reported about 5,000 shooting days in Berlin-Brandenburg in 2024. It is a regional figure and covers a different market from Munich. Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

Berlin and nearby Babelsberg combine location work with studio production. Munich is a separate centre for German-language film and TV. Compare actual employers, stages and department contacts in each region before deciding where to base yourself. Berlin filming guide.

Strengths
Several regional production centres and established studio facilities.

Challenges
German expands your local options. Compare the rent and commute to stages in each metro area.

---

---

• . Look at Screen Ireland’s skills opportunities for Dublin and ScreenSkills’ Northern Ireland resources for Belfast. They serve separate production markets.
• . Look at Korean-language film, series and commercials. The Seoul filming guide covers local crews and production services.
• . A market to look at for visual effects and post, with Wētā FX headquartered in the city.
• . The Dubai Film and TV Commission is a starting point for production information. For crew work, look at companies that service commercials and visiting productions.
• . The Houston Film Commission publishes local cast and crew calls and maintains a production directory. Use both to see which departments are hiring locally.

Should You Move for Film Work?

You can build credits on local shoots before moving to a bigger market. If you already have a few people calling you in your current city, find out how you would replace that network before you sign a lease somewhere else.

Pick two cities. For each one, find a few companies or crew members in your department, look at what they’ve actually worked on recently, and price a room and the commute to an early call. Work out how long you could cover rent and transport between bookings.

“You can’t network from your couch — the work finds those nearby.”

---

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Which city has the most film work?
It depends on the work you mean. Look at recent activity in your department and format. FilmLA counts permitted location shoot days, while the BFI reports UK production spending. Each tells you something about its own market.

Do I need to move to a film city to work in the industry?
Start where you can get set days and references. A bigger market becomes more useful once you have a department in mind and know which crews or companies you want to work with.

Which film city is best for beginners?
Start with a city you can afford, where you can get to set reliably and meet people in your department. Local indie and commercial sets, rental houses, and formal trainee programs are practical places to look.

What should I research before relocating?
Check housing, early-call transport, how people get hired in your department, and whether there are trainee or permittee routes. Ask working crew what the slow months look like.

How can I tell if a film market is busy right now?
Check the film office’s recent production reports, then ask local crew and rental houses about current work in your department. Annual spending can rise while jobs in your part of the industry slow down.

Can I work internationally?
Check official work authorization requirements for your situation before committing to a move. Ask local department contacts which working language is expected and how productions staff junior roles.

Final Thoughts

Shortlist the cities where you can afford to stay between jobs and have a realistic way into your department. Before you move, talk to crew who work there and make the trip from a neighbourhood you can afford to a likely set or studio at crew call.

Featured image courtesy of Luca5 on Flickr.

---

---