Sterling Heights, Michigan, well known as both a family friendly and a business friendly community, is welcoming the film industry to experience all that one of the safest city’s in America has to offer. The Sterling Heights Film Office facilitates filmmakers with an easy and quick permit process.
Sterling Heights is Michigan’s 4th largest city allowing for a vast choice of film location for any style of production. The city is home to numerous Fortune 500 businesses along with comfortable neighborhoods nestled into wooded parkland, all accessible within this 40-year-old community. Sterling Heights is just minutes north downtown Detroit and is also easily and equally accessible from both Detroit Metro Airport and Bishop International Airport in Flint.
Take a look at our extensive photo gallery to see optimal film locations ranging from modern stately homes, rustic woodland parks and flowing scenic rivers to historic homes, modest ranch style homes and wide variety of business and industries.
Aside from potential production locations, Sterling Heights has ample industrial properties and office space available for production headquarters.
Sterling Heights is also a prime location for cast and crew with many hotels, restaurants, and catering services available locally. (See left menu.)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, E-MAIL FILM@STERLING-HEIGHTS.NET
Important documents
To access the Michigan Filming Incentives Application, click
here.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Oscar winning actor Sean Penn was among the Hollywood celebrities who recently spent time in Sterling Heights filming movies that will be released in 2011.
Penn, 50, filmed several scenes at the Arbors condominium complex in Sterling Heights as part of his upcoming movie “This Must Be The Place,” where he plays an aging rock star who crosses the country in search of the Nazi jailer who tormented his father during World War II. The city’s film office provided assistance on the project to Cheyenne Pictures, which also gained permission from the Arbors condominium association for use of the complex. The filming included use of two streets, numerous equipment trailers, catering services and additional actresses and actors.
Thanks to tax credits approved for the film industry by the Michigan Legislature, producers of “This Must Be The Place” also planned to film additional scenes in Bad Axe, Troy and Detroit. The movie will be released early next year.
In addition, director Michael Bay brought his third installment of the “Transformers” science fiction action series to Sterling Heights to film scenes at General Motors’ Heritage Museum, located in Sterling Heights. A Dream Works production, “Transformers 3” stars Shia LeBeouf and Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whitely. The movie is scheduled to be in theaters in July 2011, and includes additional scenes shot in downtown Detroit.
“This is precisely the kind of activity our Film Office was created for,” said Community Relations Director Steve Guitar. “We’re glad to be a part of the state’s emerging film industry and we look forward to more projects in the future where Sterling Heights serves as a backdrop.”
For more information, go to sterlingheightsfilm.net or call Community Relations at (586) 446-CITY (2489).
