And the Nominees Are
The road to the Academy Awards runs through Cincinnati. This year’s Oscar nominees have plenty of connections to Cincinnati, according to Kristen Schlotman, executive director of Film Cincinnati
“Barbie:” Actor Ryan Gosling shot “Ides of March” in Cincinnati in 2013 with George Clooney while Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach shot “White Noise” in Ohio two years ago.
“The Holdovers:” Director Alexander Payne was in Cincinnati in 2019 for a Netflix untitled feature, along with producers Chris Stinson and Amy Green who shot the Zak Effron movie, “Extremely Wicked,” about Ted Bundy in NKY. Producer Mark Johnson produced “Rain Man” in Cincinnati. Nominated Best Actor, Paul Giamatti also starred in “Ides of March” in Cincinnati.
“Killers of the Flower Moon:” starring Robert De Niro, who was in Cincinnati last year filming “Wise Guys/Alto Knights,” which will premiere this fall.
“Maestro:” actress Maya Hawk shot “Wildcats” in Louisville last year with many Cincinnati crew and producer Steven Spielberg who is originally from Cincinnati.
Jeffrey Wright, nominated for Best Actor, starred in “The Public,” with Emilio Estevez, filmed in Cincinnati in 2017.
“Oppenheimer” actor Casey Affleck filmed “Old Man and a Gun” with Robert Redford in Cincinnati debuting in 2018.
“Past Lives” producers Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler along with David Hinojosa have made many movies in Cincinnati, including “Carol,” “Goat,” “Mercy” and “Dark Waters.”
“Poor Things” director Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Ed Guiney shot “Killing of a Sacred Deer” in Cincinnati in 2016. The movie also stars Mark Ruffalo, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and starred in “Dark Waters” which shot in Cincinnati in 2018.
With all of that star power, it’s little wonder that Cincinnati was recently named one of the Best Places to Live and Work in the U.S. film industry by MovieMaker Magazine. Cincinnati remained #11 on the list of one of the most prestigious industry accolades offered for film commissions. Film Cincinnati, which is dedicated to attracting, promoting, and cultivating film, television, and commercial production throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, supported 26 projects in 2023.
Among Film Cincinnati’s projects in 2023 were “Alto Knights” (formerly titled “Wise Guy”), directed by Barry Levinson, and starring Robert DeNiro, which will be released in the fall of 2024, and “Nutcrackers” starring Ben Stiller with filming in locations throughout Greater Cincinnati over the last two months.
A new study on Film Cincinnati’s economic impact shows the local film industry brought in $258 million dollars to Greater Cincinnati between 2019 and 2022. The report by the UC Economic Center also shows the film industry created 1,873 jobs during that same time.
Film Cincinnati was a chief lobbyist this year in support of an increase in the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit. In support of the film industry, state lawmakers voted to pass the tax credit increase, from $40 million to $75 million, starting in July 2024.