FilmLA has entered into a partnership with the City of Manhattan Beach as part of a one-year pilot program. Beginning May 1, 2026, FilmLA will serve as the centralized coordinator of film permits and related services in Manhattan Beach.
A coastal city nestled between Hermosa Beach and El Segundo, Manhattan Beach offers plenty of locations to entice filmmakers. From its beautiful beach with its recognizable pier, the famed oceanfront walking and bike path known as “the Strand,” and its charming, walkable downtown filled with boutiques and restaurants, the city has no shortage of close-up ready locales!
With this new partnership, filmmakers will be able to take advantage of FilmLA’ s one- stop permitting solution to combine their Manhattan Beach locations with locations in any of the 16 other jurisdictions that FilmLA serves.
Meanwhile, Manhattan Beach residents will benefit from FilmLA’s Community Outreach Services which includes advanced neighborhood notification of filming events, limiting resident impact, and access to FilmLA’s 24/7 community support hotline.
In preparation for the new partnership, the City of Manhattan Beach recently adopted more film-friendly policies by reducing some of its filming-related fees and revising filming policies to more closely align with the California Film Commission’s Model Film Ordinance. When FilmLA assumes responsibility for application processing in May, the City’s departments will retain their roles as reviewers and approvers in the permit process.
“We’re thrilled to partner with FilmLA to streamline the permitting process here in Manhattan Beach. FilmLA’s longstanding experience supporting productions across the region, combined with its expertise in multi-jurisdictional permit coordination and proactive community relations, makes them an ideal partner for our City,” said Manhattan Beach Mayor David Lesser.
“This partnership was a natural fit given our long history of coordinating permits for Los Angeles County Beaches and coastal jurisdictions throughout the region. We look forward to working with the city to make filming more straightforward and accessible for productions of all sizes and are excited to highlight Manhattan Beach as a prime filming location,” said FilmLA CEO Denise Gutches.
