A movie about the 1925 diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska, and the subsequent serum run by dog sled team was filmed in Silverton last spring.

“The Great Race” is scheduled to be released in October and is one of about five movies shot in the area over the last year.

The recent surge in film-making in Silverton is embraced by the community, said DeAnne Gallegos, executive director of the Silverton Chamber of Commerce.

“We are primarily a tourist town, but our goal is to diversify our economy,” she said. “Low-hanging fruit for us is recruiting business like movies.”

Gallegos described Silverton as a “turn-key set” that attracts filmmakers because of its versatility.

“When they need a mountain scene or a Victorian town scene, we really open our arms to it,” she said. “We haven’t had the complete facelift as some of our neighbors. We are still true and raw to that time period; there is no façade.”

The film industry provides an economic boost for Silverton’s economy, especially during the difficult shoulder season, and an opportunity for locals to get in on the action.

“We have locals out there working side by side with these movie crews,” Gallegos said. “We open up our houses and businesses, and create friendships to make this a positive experience.”

Winter scenes for “The Bay House,” a movie about a politician losing an election in the wake of scandal, finished filming in Silverton over the weekend.

Upcoming film projects in Silverton include “Freak Power,” a movie about Hunter S. Thompson’s 1970 campaign for Pitkin County Sheriff and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” a Coen brothers Western Netflix series.

“This is a different source of income for our town,” Gallegos said.

mrupani@durangoherald.com