MISSOULA, MT

Missoula is a premier destination with the scenery of a small mountain town and the amenities of a much larger city. Solitude, wilderness and adventure are only minutes away from gourmet restaurants, funky local shops and a thriving live music scene. Unparalleled natural beauty and cultural vibrancy make a visit to this Montana city unforgettable, and local hospitality makes every visitor feel welcome.

From hosting the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival to accommodating high-profile television and movie productions, Missoula is an ideal film destination. The area’s natural beauty has served as the jaw-dropping backdrop for iconic films like A River Runs Through It and several nature documentaries. Destination Missoula can assist your production team with location scouting, Montana tax incentives, wildlife area permits, transportation contacts and lodging for your cast and crew.

Featured Locations

Downtown Missoula

Downtown Missoula is alive with trendy shops, restaurants, bars, breweries, live music, historic buildings and more—all surrounded by mountains in the near distance. The district’s main streets feature Romanesque Revival storefronts and Art Modern hotels that lend period accuracy to your film.

Missoula Midtown

Missoula’s midtown district offers a variety of opportunities as new shops, restaurants and breweries continue to pop up, in addition to the historic fairgrounds and Fort Missoula. The Missoula County Fairgrounds was designated a historic district, with its Craftsman-style buildings and agricultural roots. Fort Missoula was established as a military post in 1877, and the grounds now serve as a 32-acre Historic Park with over 20 preserved buildings.

River & Mountain Trails

Missoula is surrounded by seven wilderness areas and sits at the confluence of three rivers, offering endless outdoor scenery. Popular spots include the Riverfront Trail (which passes by sights like the Clark Fork River and Washington Grizzly Stadium), the “M” Trail to the top of Mt. Sentinel and the valley views in the Blue Mountain Recreation Area.

University of Montana

The University of Montana was voted one of the most beautiful public college campuses in the U.S., with its historic brick buildings and sprawling green lawns at the base of Mt. Sentinel. Surrounding the campus, you’ll find the University Area Historic District full of tree-lined streets and Craftsman-style homes.

Geary Ranch

A historic family ranch in Helmville that was homesteaded in the mid 1800s and is still very original. The ranch sits on 10,000 acres of diverse landscape that has about 10 miles of the Blackfoot River running through it as well as a private remote lake. Cattle and horses are available onsite as well as the Helmville Rodeo Grounds.

Film Credits

Rebates And Incentives

On top of our unbeatable scenery and top-notch amenities, filmmakers in Missoula can also take advantage of Montana film tax credits, grants and bonus incentives. Montana offers a 20% transferable income tax credit on production expenditures in the state with additional amounts that can increase the credit up to 35% of the production company’s base investment in the tax year. These perproduction additional incentives include 25% of compensation for Montana resident crew members, 15% of compensation for out-of-state crew and 20% of above-the-line compensation (actor, director, producer, writer). The Big Sky Film Grant funds on qualified expenditures can be awarded if the project’s in-state spend exceeds $300,000 and shoots at least 50% of principal photography in-state.

A River

Runs Through

It, Yellowstone, Love Like Gold, Bella Vista, Wisconsin Project X, Pretty Ugly People, Under Siege 2

Destination Missoula

Barb Neilan 406-532-3250 director@destinationmissoula.com www.destinationmissoula.com

Scan to discover more of what Destination Missoula offers productions at DestinationFilmGuide.com

The stuff we shot in the [Missouri] Ozarks looks stunning…When we were planning to shoot our first episode of “Ozark,” the film office served as our guide on a number of trips. They showed incredible hospitality and offered a superb glimpse of the world we were about to portray.”