Ben Affleck thanks Bostonians after shoot

Ben Affleck blows a bubble at Fenway Park in Boston, during the Boston Red Sox's game against the Los Angeles Angels in major league baseball Sunday, July 30, 2006. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Ben Affleck finished shooting his film "Gone, Baby, Gone" and thanked residents for their support during the nearly three-month production in and around the city.

"This is a great place to shoot movies," Affleck, who is making his directorial debut, told reporters on Saturday. "We've had an enormous amount of cooperation."

The Cambridge native, who won an Oscar for co-writing "Good Will Hunting" with hometown friend Matt Damon, shot his new film in Boston, Chelsea, and Quincy.

"There were a lot of people who had to find new parking spaces, who had to go around a lot of detours," he said.

Affleck, actress wife Jennifer Garner and baby Violet have been living near Harvard Square for the summer. He said it's been a nice break from Hollywood.

The film, expected in theaters next year, stars younger brother Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman. It's based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, who also wrote novel-turned-film "Mystic River."

Boston is no longer an expensive and indifferent city in which to shoot, Affleck said. The state's new tax breaks decrease the cost.

"Companies thinking about coming here definitely should," he said. "They'll be met with enthusiasm, and they'll get to shoot in a place that is really unique and distinct... And I want to thank Boston for making that possible."