Strong interest to film in Cambridge thanks to The Handmaid's Tale

Cambridge saw a slight dip in the number of inquiries about filming locations in 2017, but staff in the city's economic development office are still pretty happy.

There were 45 inquiries about filming in the city. While it was down from 52 in 2016, it wasstill above 25 in 2015, when the city really started to promote itself as a location for TV shows and films.

• Cambridge locations used prominently in The Handmaid's Tale
• q:Watch the chilling trailer for season 2 of The Handmaid's Tale

In 2017, there were 16 days of filming, which is down from 21 in 2016 but up a touch from 15 in 2015. The majority of the projects took place in the core area of Galt.

"What made 2017 so exciting, even though our inquiries were down a bit, was the success of The Handmaid's Tale," said Devon Hogue, business information officer for the city.

"This program filmed numerous times in Cambridge in the 2016 film season and to have it come to screen and showcase our community on an international stage really garnered support for our film program locally."

15 projects in 2017

In January 2018, already there have beenfour inquiries for filming, which is the same amount as in 2017 and 2016.

Along with The Handmaid's Talewhich recently won eight Emmy Awards and two Golden Globesand returned to film its second season in OctoberCambridge hosted cast and crew members from the shows Dark Matter, Frankie Drake, Murdoch Mysteries and the political drama Designated Survivor.

The city has created a map to show the various locations used in TV and films.

There were 15 different projects that filmed in Cambridge in 2017, which staff said in a year-end report, resulted in approximately $303,000 in economic impact.

For fans of The Handmaid's Tale, the second season premieres onApril 25.