Oregon’s film industry has grown widely in the past 20 years thanks to tax incentives for productions, help from the Oregon Film office and a wide array of locations to choose from.

While more films opt for the metropolitan areas on the west side of the mountains, Central Oregon is no stranger to the silver screen.

While not every film shot here has gone on to critical (and sometimes financial) successes, there is something to satisfy anyone’s taste of home.

“Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey” (1993) — Filmed largely in Oregon and California, the story revolves about three pets who are left at a ranch while their family goes on a vacation, then get lost looking for their family. Famously, the film built the cover over the Hixon Bridge in Shevlin Park which was recently demolished for safety reasons. It also features Paulina Creek (when they cross the river), Benham Falls (when Sassy the cat gets caught in rapids), Smith Rock and the Balancing Rocks near Lake Billy Chinook (where Chance and Shadow, the dogs, are chased by a cougar) and the Deschutes National Forest (used for a few traveling scenes). If you haven’t watched it in a while, it’s still pretty good, though you may cry more, especially if you have/had dogs. Stream it on Disney Plus or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Management” (2008) — 2008 seems like a lifetime ago after watching this. Steve Zahn plays Mike, the night manager of a motel in a small Arizona town who meets a lodger Sue, played by the it-girl of the time, Jennifer Aniston, and falls hard for her. He tries to woo her by offering her free wine and champagne, then following her back to Baltimore and frankly, stalking her in the process. Sue seems okay with most of the interactions, ultimately thinking he’s pretty harmless and cute (which he is, but his tactics are still predatory). Even though it’s set in everywhere but here, the film was shot entirely in Oregon with Madras standing in for the small Arizona town where the motel is. Despite the uneasy plotline, it manages to be somewhat charming and solidifies the question, “Why did Steve Zahn not have a bigger career?” because he’s great. Stream it on Hoopla or Tubi or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Meek’s Cutoff” (2010) — While a tiny bit outside of Central Oregon proper, it still makes the list because the was shot entirely on-location in a remote stretch of desert near Burns. Based on the true story of Joseph Meek’s “shortcut” for the wagon train he led to Oregon and featuring some beautifully subdued and intense performances from lead Michelle Williams as Emily Tetherow (yes, that is where the Bend golf course/neighborhood gets its name) and Shirley Henderson as Glory White. Directed by Kelly Reichardt, whose style may not be for everyone, as it is only sprinkled with stylized dialogue, and feels long because of it. It is, however, stunningly shot and acted. Stream it on Amazon Prime, Crackle, Tubi or Vudu or rent it from Google Play or iTunes.

“The Postman” (1997) — This is not a great movie. But the scenery is nice and since more than a few extras are locals, you may see a friend of yours standing near director and star Kevin Costner. Shot around Bend and Redmond (as well as parts of Washington and Arizona) it follows the story of a drifter who finds an old postman’s uniform and a bag of undelivered mail, stirs hope in those he meets while delivering the letters in a post-apocalyptic America. Stream it on Cinemax or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Rooster Cogburn” (1975) — A followup to John Wayne’s best performance in “True Grit” only this time the result is much campier and just not as good as a result. The Duke saddles up this time with Katharine Hepburn to track down her father’s murderers. Filmed at Benham Falls and other areas around the Cascade Lakes as well as the Rogue River in southwestern Oregon. Eagle-eyed viewers may even spot the building used for Kate’s Saloon still standing near Smith Rock. Catch it on the big screen at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the Pine Theater in Prineville or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Shut Up Anthony” (2017) — Anthony (Robert D. Esposito) gets fired from his job and is on a break with his girlfriend and decides to decompress at his family’s vacation house, where he finds his estranged and alcoholic friend Tim (John Titterington) already there. The two must reside together while they both sort out their lives. The film written and directed by Kyle Eaton was filmed in partly in Sunriver and was a feature at the BendFilm festival. It can be rented through the organization’s Alumni Film Library (BendFilm Members can use member tickets), with proceeds of the rental going to the festival, or streamed on Amazon Prime.

“St. Helens” (1981) — Filmed entirely in Bend and the Cascade Lakes, this disaster movie loosely based on the Mt. St. Helens eruption of 1980 stars Art Carney as crusty lodge owner Harry Truman and David Huffman as young volcanologist David Jackson, generally based on (but nowhere near accurate) real-life volcanologist Davin Johnson, who died in the blast. I cannot say plainly enough that this is just a bad movie. With hokey dialogue, paper-thin characters, half-truths and pretty awful effects it’s clear that the film was rushed in order to get out by the one-year anniversary of the eruption. It feels like someone took the plot of “Jaws” and replaced the shark with a volcano, with awful execution. However, because it includes Bend in the early ‘80s standing in for the Washington town of Cougar, it’s kind of worth it for that. Plus you get to see some ‘80s Bendites running around in the background. While there are no legitimate ways to watch this online, you can find uploads of it floating around on popular community video services.

“Wild” (2014) — Based on the best selling memoir of Cheryl Strayed and starring Reese Witherspoon, the film recounts Strayed’s trek up the famous Pacific Crest Trail that stretches from southern California up to Southern British Columbia. Through-hiking the trail can be grueling, especially to the underprepared (as Strayed was), and the film does a great job of capturing that as well as the beauty of nature that the trail winds through. While the PCT runs through a sizable portion of Central Oregon’s wilderness areas, the film opted to have our local sights fill in for many other areas. Paulina Lake Lodge stood in for Kennedy Meadows, which is really located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Smith Rock was used in a rock scrambling scene, and probably most surprising was the use of the Badlands Wilderness just east of Bend, which stood in for California’s Modoc Plateau and the Mojave Desert, thanks to some strategically placed Joshua trees. Rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.