You want to make it in the film business. Do you have to move to Los Angeles?

To be clear, plenty of people jump at the chance to relocate to sunny southern California, even if their occupations have nothing to do with film. But L.A. isn’t for everyone. And the industry for which it’s best-known is notorious for grinding up and spitting out even the most self-possessed talents.

The good news is, you don’t have to live in L.A. to make a name for yourself in film. These six North American places have homegrown film industries of their own, and they’d love to have you. Which calls your name?

1. New York City

New York City is bigger and colder at times than L.A. but, like the city itself, the film industry here is its own beast. It’s particularly fertile ground for independent filmmakers and those keen on working with them; plan accordingly.

2. Vancouver

Name any five live-action movies released since 2000 and there’s a good chance at least one of them was shot in Vancouver. According to INSIDER, film spending accounts for about $1 billion in annual economic activity in British Columbia’s biggest city. That’s due in part to the region’s tremendous reserve of creative talent, supported by highly ranked digital arts schools like the nearby Centre for Arts and Technology in Kelowna (CAT, as it’s known, as a satellite campus in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, too). Plus, Vancouver is beautiful; you can actually see the mountains here.

3. Atlanta

Thanks to the generous Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment tax incentive, Atlanta has rapidly become one of the top destinations for on-location shoots. The city’s homegrown film and TV industry is growing, too; popular series like The Walking Dead and (unsurprisingly) Atlanta are filmed here.

4. Chicago

It’s not clear that North America’s third-largest city is its third-largest filmmaking hub; Illinois’s tax incentives aren’t quite as generous as Georgia’s, for example. But Chicago is a popular setting for small-screen drama, and a noted film location for big-screen fare too. Plus, its homegrown tech industry supports a strong base of behind-the-scenes talent.

5. New Orleans

The Big Easy is the smallest city on this list, but it punches well above its weight thanks to Louisiana’s Motion Picture Production Tax Credit program. Plus, the city’s distinctive colonial architecture, eclectic populace, and moody weather are perfect for all manner of settings.

6. Toronto

Canada’s largest city is also among its most vibrant film markets. Toronto is often described as a mix of Chicago and New York City, and that description is more or less apt, but the film industry here is something else altogether. Why not find yourself a place on the Ontario shore and find out for yourself?

The Industry Is Closer Than You Think

No matter where in North America you live, you’re not as far as you think from a thriving filmmaking hub. Precisely where you choose to set up your creative shop may depend more on the sort of place you want to live than the film-related specialty you decide to pursue. It’s great to have options.