Birmingham city leaders approve funding to attract filmmakers

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Birmingham city leaders have approved funding to keep bringing stars to Alabama, renewing an agreement with Create Birmingham to make the Magic City a filmmaking destination.

The Birmingham City Council renewed a $160,000 agreement with Create Birmingham to continue attracting filmmakers to the area.

The city has already attracted actors like Matthew McConaughey and Aaron Eckhart to film in Birmingham.

Create Birmingham helps filmmakers looking to put the city center stage find everything they need to make films in Birmingham, whether that’s helping with permits, hiring local crew, or finding the best locations.

“We are centrally located here in Alabama. We’re close the coast, we’re close to the mountains. So it’s easy to get anywhere to have different sets for films,” said Lee Shook, director of Film Birmingham.

The non-profit focuses on all things film in Birmingham. They host workshops and trainings for local filmmakers, but also connect out-of-town directors and producers with all the assets they need for their production.

“Directors and producers who are looking to find locations and crew and help the hire locals, especially were very very adamant about local hires and helping people find the things they need to make great films here,” Shook said.

Councilor Hunter Williams calls their partnership successful. In 2023 alone, films shot in Birmingham had an economic impact of $32 million.

“Visibility for our city but also when you have the crew in town and all the different components that come with filmmaking, from rentals to everything else, the city of Birmingham wins tremendously,” Williams said.

The impact extends beyond economics to culture, according to Shook.

“There’s a sense of pride when you see someone like Matthew McConaughey come here and film or you see a hallmark movie that has been made here and there’s a sense that the community did this. And when you see your community on film, there’s that excitement too,” Shook said.

Shook says the city doesn’t have the same infrastructure as some of the Southeast’s major cities but believes Birmingham has the potential to be an indie filmmaking hub.

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