With year-round sunshine, a booming tourism industry, and a growing network of indie creatives, Florida is quietly becoming a haven for actors and filmmakers looking to break into the industry — without the sky-high costs and competition of Hollywood.
Orlando native Dalton Burdette, 28, is part of that movement. A filmmaker who writes, directs, and produces his own work, Burdette has been building his career from the ground up in Central Florida since 2017. His recent short film, Quiver, was shot on a micro-budget of under $10,000, featured a crew of around 20 people, and is currently wrapping up its festival run before landing on some popular streaming platforms.
“The dream is to get seen, connect with investors, and keep making more films,” Burdette says. “And I like doing that from here.”
While Florida may not be the first place people think of when they hear “film industry,” Burdette says it is a hotbed for creative talent — especially in Orlando. Thanks to the presence of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and other entertainment giants, the city is full of working actors, dancers, and performers who bring characters to life daily. Many of them turn to film as a way to stretch their talents and build their résumés.
“There’s actually a really active actor community here,” Dalton explains. “A lot of theme park performers want to get into film, and local groups like Orlando Independent Filmmakers [OIF] help connect people.”
Disney alone employs over 75,000 cast members in Florida, many of whom have theatrical or performance backgrounds. It is a unique pipeline of talent not found in traditional film hubs — and one that fuels Florida’s indie scene.
Filmmakers like Burdette rely on this built-in talent pool, as well as the tight-knit collaborative energy that comes from having to wear multiple hats. In Quiver, Dalton not only wrote and directed but also helped secure locations — including a friend’s cabin that doubled as a creepy wooded setting and the infamous “kill shed.” Scenes were filmed on private properties and in public areas with limited permits, a common approach for budget-conscious productions.
But, Burdette noted that filming in Florida is not without its own set of unique challenges. The state lacks the robust tax incentives offered in places like Georgia, which has become a major production hub for film and television. “People have been saying ‘Florida’s the next Hollywood’ for years,” he said. “But without that financial support, it’s hard for it to scale in the same way.”
Still, the DIY spirit is strong. Burdette’s team — typically between 10 to 25 people per project — uses affordable gear like the Panasonic GH5 and edits with DaVinci Resolve. It is a far cry from Hollywood budgets, but the results speak for themselves. Quiver has already screened in Los Angeles and other cities, and Dalton is aiming for more film premieres with his next project: a Florida-based comedy heist film about lifelong friends honoring one who passed away.
So, is Florida really becoming the next Hollywood? Maybe not yet — but it is certainly carving out its own scene, one indie film and acting gig at a time.
Want to Watch Quiver?
While the film is still wrapping up its festival run, Dalton plans to release Quiver on streaming platforms soon. A behind-the-scenes featurette and post-production extras are also in the works. For now, fans can catch updates and sneak peeks on social media and YouTube.
