COVID-19 has changed American culture in more ways than we could possibly address in this article, with a permanent impact reaching from education to healthcare and, especially, the workplace. One of the most radical changes many companies continue to reckon with stems from the rapid and lasting transition to remote work.
Last Wednesday, March 31 the legislature completed legislative day 40, the final day of the 2021 session, known as Sine Die. As Georgia has a two-year session cycle, any bill that doesn’t pass can be revisited during the next legislative session in 2022.
New event venue focused on creating exclusive, high-end occasions. From red carpet film and television premieres to celebrity events, the facility located on Atlanta’s fast-growing West Side will offer the top-tier amenities their clientele expects in a venue that is both private and easily accessible
Atlanta-based esports companies Ghost Gaming and Skillshot Media together with the Georgia Film Academy have announced a new collaboration to create career development opportunities in the gaming and esports industry for Georgia’s workforce.
On Set early morning Fraturday with Adam Sandler. I was handing out water I went up to Adam and in my best Bobby Bushae impression I asked Him “Would you like some high quality H20.” He chuckled and in True Bobby Bushea form he replied. “Why Yes yes I would.” That’s right, I Bushea’d, Bobby Bushea.
In addition, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice King wrote on Twitter: “Please stop the #BoycottGeorgia talk. That would hurt middle class workers and people grappling with poverty. And it would increase the harm of both racism and classism.”
The movie wrapped its month-long shooting schedule this week. Neon Highway was shot exclusively in Columbus, Pine Mountain and Hamilton, GA. A press conference was held Monday.
The legislature reconvened, Monday, March 29 for legislative day 39 and will work through yesterday for Sine Die. Sine Die is the final day of the 2021 legislative session, and the date by which a bill must be approved by both Chambers in order to be sent to the Governor’s desk for approval or veto.
Gray TV’s development partner, The Gipson Co.’s Jay Gipson, revealed more of the media giant’s plans Monday evening during a Doraville Downtown Development Authority meeting.
This is your last week to apply to speak at CIMFest June 12! The Columbus Interactive Media Festival (CIMFest) gets better every year, and grew even as we went virtual in 2020! This year’s event will be hybrid, with most of our sessions happening online, but with Columbus State University opening to a 50-person socially distanced event on site.
Business owners and entertainment professionals from Columbus and beyond attended the Focus Film Columbus GA virtual event on Wednesday, March 24th. The event, usually held live, connects entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses.
The surge in the digital entertainment market helped partially offset the decrease in the global box office caused by theater closures during the pandemic. The global theatrical and home/mobile entertainment market, in turn, reached $80.8 billion USD last year, representing an 18 percent decrease from 2019, further reflecting the pandemic’s impact on the industry.
Including three previously announced titles, there are 170 total works currently scheduled to play at ATLFF 2021’s virtual, drive-in and in-person screenings. There were a record-breaking 9,400 combined films and screenplays submitted to the 2021 festival.
The American Rescue Plan provides absolutely essential economic relief for workers in the American creative community who continue to face an uncertain path back to work due to the pandemic. This legislation’s extension of CARES Act and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation benefits into early September, as well as critical tax forgiveness for the first $10,200 of unemployment insurance claimed in 2020, will provide much-needed certainty for creative community workers and their families.
We said from the beginning that the severity of this health crisis demands decisive action from our federal government. Saying this shouldn’t be a partisan statement. It was true a year ago, it was true during the November election, and it is true today.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced that Tina Lilly will be the new Executive Director of Georgia Council for the Arts, effective immediately. Lilly has served Georgia Council for the Arts for the last 14 years, most recently as director of the organization’s $2 million grant program.
Lawmakers in Georgia are looking to extend the state’s sales and use tax to digital goods and services. If House Bill 594 is enacted as written, audiovisual works, electronic books, video games, and a host of other digital products and services would be subject to sales and use tax starting July 1, 2021.
“Nomadland” was the big winner, taking home four awards including Best Picture, Best Director for Chloé Zhao, Best Adapted Screenplay for Zhao and Best Cinematography. “Promising Young Woman” received two awards—Best Actress for Carey Mulligan and Best Original Screenplay for Emerald Fennell, who also won the Breakthrough Award.
The 14-min. film uses audio interviews of mothers, doulas, and birth professionals alongside a visual exploration of cabbage birthing myths and fairytales throughout history in order to investigate the modern-day cabbage patch fairy tale and its connection to the lack of candid discussion about birthing in our society.
The legislature reconvened Monday, March 22 for legislative day 36 and will work through Thursday, March 25 completing legislative day 38. Wednesday, March 31, will be Sine Die, which is the final day for a bill to be passed by both chambers before being sent to the governor’s desk for approval or veto.
Steve Mensch, who oversees operations at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, says just a few months into the pandemic last year, the studio started quarantining hundreds of cast and crew members in on-site housing.
This year, the judges also recognize one filmmaker as a Rising Filmmaker – JACOBE LOVE with his documentary A DANGEROUS SILENCE, about domestic violence in Columbus, GA.
Camera crews filming a big screen movie is not a common site in the little town of Waycross. Yet, the town’s charm was enough to convince a director as the right place to make his movie.
The Columbus Film Commission is inviting those interested to attend the next Focus Film Columbus GA event. This virtual event will take place on March 24th at 2:00 PM and will be hosted via ZOOM.
Calculating Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness and the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) might be complex, but maximizing your benefit doesn’t have to be.
“We are proud to be a part of the evolution of Blackhall Studios as their expansion brings economic growth opportunities and quality jobs to our County,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.
The Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) has announced their slate of nominees for the GAFCA Awards celebrating the 2020 year in film. Founded in 2011, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the awards program for the critics group. GAFCA is made up of 40 film critics from around the state, representing print, television, radio and online media.
Carol Gertjegeders was just a child when her mother, Ophelia DeVore Mitchell, opened a charm school in 1946 in New York City. Her charm school, Grace Del Marco Models, was a stepping stone for black women who wanted to be in the entertainment industry.
The agreement will make Peach Maria Productions — producers of the upcoming reality competition series, GAMEMASTER, with host Wil Wheaton — the largest Reality Engine virtual production operation in the world by the end of 2021.
Like festivals all over the world – from Sundance to Oxford, MS – the South Georgia Film Festival will include virtual programming! You can watch over 100 films this year from the comfort of your home through your Smart TV, laptop, or phone!
At a meeting of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Committee on Real Estate on Tuesday, Sandra Neuse, the University System of Georgia’s vice chancellor for real estate and facilities, presented the board with plans to convert the campus into a major production studio, in partnership with Georgia Film Academy.
Awards-show season is in full swing, and it kicked off with the Golden Globes on Sunday night. Central Georgia had a hand in one of the award-winning movies. Sacha Baron Cohen took home Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for the Georgia-filmed ‘Borat’ sequel.
During the month of March, we will be sharing this history, amplifying women’s voices, and honoring the magnitude of their influential work and unyielding dedication to the union and entertainment industry.
MomoCon, the fan-favorite Atlanta event celebrating gaming, pop culture, and animation, will not hold its in-person event originally scheduled on May 27-30, 2021, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The House passed a resolution for the legislature to reconvene, Monday, March 1, for legislative day 25 and work Wednesday and Friday completing legislative day 27 on March 5. Monday, March 8, will be Crossover Day, which is the deadline for a bill to pass out of either legislative chamber in order to be considered this session.
No Address depicts the criminaliza4on of homelessness and how communities across the country can implement proven practical solutions to address this epidemic.
Larry Elmore is one of the most recognized names in game art, and his SIEGE workshop was our most popular. Join us 2 pm EST March 9 for a character art demo as Larry lets us join him to complete his Women of Dragonlance painting. GGDA members can join us in Discord to get their questions answered.
Stathopoulos has extensive experience practicing in the areas of state and local taxation and economic development incentives, with an emphasis in entertainment tax incentives. He helped draft a portion of the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act of 2008, which has made Georgia one of the leading U.S. destinations for film, television and digital entertainment productions.
Oklahoma’s film production sector, which the state has designated an essential business, has continued building on growth that has some industry watchers comparing it to Atlanta as a top U.S. filming destination.
Georgia filming continues apace in February, with at least 52 known active productions, the most since The Atlanta Journal-Constitution began monthly tracking in June 2019.
Along with over 100 films, the fifth annual South Georgia Film Festival will feature a live podcast recording from the nationally recognized AFC Indie Filmmaking Podcast.
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that the State of Georgia ranked among the United States’ Top Ten exporting states in 2020 for the first time. Georgia merchandise exports reached 215 unique countries and territories and experienced the lowest rate of export contraction among all top ten states, despite headwinds from a global pandemic.
In South Carolina, Erskine and Newberry Colleges offer scholarships. In North Carolina, it’s Belmont Abbey, Barton and Lees McRae colleges, while in Virginia, Marymount and the University of North America have gaming programs. And, institutions in Georgia such as Georgia State University also offer esports scholarships.
Barry Jenkins released another beautiful teaser, In Aeternum, for the upcoming The Underground Railroad series. In an online article from IndieWire.com, his motivation behind the unique perspective of this latest teaser is explained. A large portion of the production was filmed in the Savannah Region and in other parts of Georgia. The limited series will debut on Amazon Prime in 2021.
The legislature reconvened Monday for legislative day 20 and work through Friday, February 26 completing legislative day 24. We are approaching Crossover Day, the deadline for a bill to pass out of either legislative chamber in order to be considered this session, which takes place on the 28th legislative day.
In 2020, Moonshine mixed, colored, or edited over 75 Episodes and Feature Films—including Netflix’s The Liberator (GA’s first posted Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, HDR original series) and Oscar-shortlisted / MTV Distributed documentary 76 Days—on top of a full plate of international ad work. Despite global hardships, 2020 was a successful year in post for Georgia and our team.
In this episode of EXPOSED, we talk with attorney Charles “Bo” Bowen. Bo’s firm is located in Savannah Georgia but serves clients throughout the country on matters concerning entertainment, film and music. Bo discusses legal strategies and trends including the impact COVID has had his consultations in 2020 and 2021.
Brian Egeston (Perfect Harmony) wrote the screenplay which is being produced by Roma Downey and Autumn Bailey-Ford. Mark Burnett will executive produce the project.
“As a life-long Fango fan and horror hound, it’s a great honor to be hosting the Chainsaws, especially in light of the difficult year that we’ve all faced together,” said Dastmalchian in a statement. “The isolation of 2020 was devastating and the amazing horror films of the past year helped many genre fans to endure the lockdowns as well as unifying the horror community in a wonderful way.”
This February, re:imagine/ATL launched the EMERGE: Apprenticeship Program, a workforce development program for youth ages 18-24. During this program, 14 students will participate in a paid nine-month training program that will prepare them for a full-time career in Georgia’s $34 Billion creative media industry.
Join GPP on Tuesday, March 2nd at 12 pm EST and learn more about the exploding possibilities of working in Visual Effects in Georgia! An insightful panel of VFX Artists from the Georgia Section of the Visual Effects Society will discuss pre-production, production, and post-production.
Starring Melissa Saint-Amand (“Ozark”), Tara Ochs (Selma) and William Gregory Lee (“Mentalist”), the Mysterious Southern Drama Arrived in Theatres on February 12 and DVD & Digital HD on February 16 from Indican Pictures.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. John Albers, would allow the chairs of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committee to each request an economic analysis of up to five tax credits every year. The bill easily cleared the chamber Monday with a unanimous vote and now heads to the House.
Film and TV producers currently are working on 37 projects in the Peach State, up from 23 at this time last year, Lee Thomas, the state Department of Economic Development’s deputy commissioner for film, music and digital entertainment, told members of a Georgia House committee Monday.
The Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS) is pleased to announce the first wave of films programmed for the upcoming 45th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF), slated for April 22 through May 2, 2021. Each year, this first wave announcement acts as both the earliest glimpse at the upcoming festival as well as a representation of the exciting programming choices to come.
The Digital Creators Coalition (DCC), a broad and diverse group of associations, companies and organizations united in actively advocating for strong protections for our creative communities, launched its inaugural website.
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia.
This letter is to formally offer the White House COVID Response Team and FEMA our infrastructure and labor in the effort to build or convert vaccinations sites across the country.
“A GFA education is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the state’s $10 billion film and entertainment industry,” said GFA executive director, Jeffrey Stepakoff. “We provide real world experience in a relatively short period of time at a low tuition cost with a guaranteed internship.”
The DreamHack Open is part of the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for CS:GO, which combines multiple, previously unconnected ESL and DreamHack tournaments into dedicated circuits that build towards grand championships each year.
Pedro Correa (The Middle), Booboo Stewart (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Raymond Cruz (Breaking Bad), Simon Rex (Scary Movie franchise) and Steven Bauer (Scarface) will star in My Dead Dad, a coming-of-age indie drama
In this episode of EXPOSED, we speak with Crafty Apes co-founder Chris LeDoux. He discusses how VFX and post production have evolved in the pandemic era. He also discusses trends he sees for moviemaking in Georgia and beyond.
Governor Brian P. Kemp, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), today announced that more than 16,000 jobs were created across all regions of the state by economic development projects in Georgia during the first half of fiscal year 2021, generating nearly $6 billion in new investments.
Frazier & Deeter, a Top 50 accounting and advisory firm with offices in the US and the UK, announced today several changes to its senior leadership team. The firm has added new roles of Chief Strategy Officer and National Service Line Leader, while also separating the CFO and COO roles.
ESL Gaming, the world’s largest esports company, has unveiled an overview of its 2021 planning direction for esports tournaments and DreamHack festivals, providing a full list of dates. Included is DreamHack’s first live, in-person festival since the pandemic began.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) proudly announces the initial lineup for the 2021 SCAD aTVfest. Now in its ninth year, the university’s annual signature event celebrating all things television and streaming will be a virtual experience taking place Feb. 4-6, 2021.
COVID-19 critically halted the film industry cancelling all productions planned in Augusta after March 2020. The good news is interest in Augusta as a film production center grew. As the film industry had time on its hands, FILM Augusta saw inquiries and requests for information increase over 2019.
Fangoria is expanding its genre-driven empire with Fangoria Studios. The entertainment and publishing company is teaming with Circle of Confusion for the newly launched banner to develop and produce film, television, and podcasts using the Fangoria, Starlog, and Gorezone brands with a focus on sci-fi and horror projects with global appeal. Circle of Confusion is set to represent them in all areas.
At this year’s annual Georgia Chamber Eggs & Issue Breakfast, Speaker David Ralston was asked about support in the General Assembly for Georgia’s film and digital entertainment industry. Georgia’s industry was hit hard by the pandemic, but has become a global model for returning to work safely and has been credited for leading Georgia out of a pandemic related recession.
The play is a fictionalized portrayal of the recording of Rainey’s song of the same name and part of Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of ten plays that tell the stories of African Americans throughout each decade of the 1900s.
Georgia-based game developer Hi-Rez Studios revealed several major content updates for its three competitive esports titles Rogue Company, SMITE, and Paladins.
Pharaoh’s Conclave (PCX), Georgia’s leading organization for diversity and inclusion in competitive video gaming, and the Thomas Family Fund are proud to announce a contribution of $160,000 to Morris Brown College in honor and memory of the family patriarch, Ronald Floyd Thomas (MBC 2002).
Florida is the only state in the Southeast without a program to compete for film and television projects, which puts us at a major competitive disadvantage. Our regional neighbors included the film and television industry as part of their post COVID-19 economic recovery.
Columbus State University’s “drive-in” commencement ceremony wasn’t the university’s only first in its history. The Dec. 12 ceremony also celebrated its first two graduates of its new Film Production nexus degree program, which was approved by the University System of Georgia in 2018.
IATSE joined the AFL-CIO and working people across the country Friday in praising the appointment of our union-brother and Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, to serve as Secretary of Labor in the Biden Administration.
The two-day Summit, presented by NBC Universal, was virtual, immersive experience for viewers to enjoy panel discussions, keynote speakers, one-on-one sessions, and networking opportunities covering presentations from some of the brightest minds in film, music, and gaming.
With a mission to put Georgians to work in all aspects of the state’s multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry, all across the state, the Georgia Film Academy (GFA), in coordination with Georgia Tech-Savannah, recently announced plans to offer a course in Savannah that would introduce students to on-set film production.
Georgia’s legislative session began, with 36 freshman legislators and new leadership in several key committees. While the calendar seems to still be up in the air due to COVID, passing the budget and addressing voting rights are the main issues of focus.
No one could have predicted 2020… except for Hollywood. As everyone on earth noted earlier this year, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion did a fine job of predicting how a Covidesque virus could wreak havoc with every aspect of our lives.
We are extremely disappointed to hear of the conflicting date, March 14th, announced today for this year’s Grammy Awards telecast. We announced the same date for the SAG Awards last July with the intent to give the greatest possible scheduling consideration for other awards shows. We expect the same consideration from sister organizations throughout the industry.
Everyone loved Richard. Generous, supportive, charming and witty, he was widely respected and admired here in Washington and beyond, and he was a fierce advocate for the creative industries and the Walt Disney Company — which for him was much more than a job.
Film sets are full of jobs for people. No matter the size of the project, there is always a buzz when you get on set. Everyone there is working together to bring a vision to life. There are lots of famous above-the-line jobs, but we’re trying to give you the information about the jobs that usually get forgotten.
Want to know what your real voice sounds like as a creative? How do you communicate that to an audience? A client? Producers? Your voice is EVERYTHING.
We just LOVE this video of Council of Dads star J August Richards talking about all his favorite Savannah locations!! Watch as J. showcases The Alida Hotel, Leopold’s Ice Cream, Bluff Drive and The Original Crab Shack!
22 music community organizations released the following statement on Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Chairman Thom Tillis’s proposal to restore balance to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), so that it can best achieve its objective to address online infringement
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia.
Just prior to adjourning for the year, the 116th U.S. Congress passed an omnibus government funding bill with a $900 billion COVID-19 emergency economic relief package attached that will provide some measure of support for IATSE members in the coming months.
The SAG-AFTRA National Board, meeting in a special session conducted via Zoom videoconference, passed resolutions aimed at correcting misrepresentations about SAG-AFTRA Health Plan changes and instituting a rule requiring members to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols.
While the stars are not indicative of the politics of the film industry as a whole, the prospect of the “heartbeat” bill had some threatening to boycott our state. We were on the verge of collapse. Some in the Georgia Legislature began to question the film tax incentives.
Dear Decaturish, It’s not news that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt by everyone in Georgia,…
A new study from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) shows the video game industry in Georgia generates $801.4 million in annual economic output, either through direct industry output ($370 million) or via other participants in the video game ecosystem, such as suppliers and other supported output ($431 million).
Georgia’s popular Film Tax Credit will undergo significant changes as of January 1, 2021. House Bill 1037 (H.B. 1037) was drafted in response to a report released earlier this year by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts (DOAA). The report revealed the use of inadequate procedures by the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) to verify expenditures that qualify for the credit, resulting in the improper granting of credits. H.B. 1037 was signed into law on August 4, 2020 and was designed to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.
As part of its annual “DreamHack Day” DreamHack has revealed a refreshed brand with an identity focused on the gaming community. The new look, created in partnership with WPP brand agency Superunion, also reflects the company’s evolution into a global destination for immersive, gaming lifestyle experiences where the community comes to life.
Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau president and CEO, Peter Bowden, remains optimistic as he said unions are working together with other industry professionals to get ack to business safely. Bowden said he thinks the industry will gear up as we move through winter and into spring.
FROM GPP: Mark your calendar as busy on January 15-16: They’re the official dates for the Georgia Production Summit 2021. We’re hosting our first ever virtual summit on the 15th & 16th and you’re invited! Early bird registration for GPS2021 is now open, so claim your spot now.
Business owners and entertainment professionals from Columbus and beyond attended the Focus Film Columbus GA virtual event on Wednesday, December 9th. The event, usually held live, connects entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses.
“The pandemic has only underscored how great storytelling helps to connect people – even when they are forced to be apart. I look forward to continuing to work with our Members and partners to advocate for creators, protect their content and economic livelihoods, and sustain the unparalleled pioneering spirit that has characterized our industry for more than a century.”
Now after Joe Biden collected the state’s 16 electoral votes, besting Donald Trump by 12,670 votes and becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to win Georgia since 1992, the question is, how has the surging entertainment business played a role in the state going blue?
While production is expected to drop off for the Christmas/New Year period, the number of active TV and films in Georgia remains robust in early December.
Two dozen music organizations sent a joint letter to President-elect Joe Biden to congratulate him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on a historic election victory, and to urge the appointment of individuals to his team who understand the creative community and intellectual property issues.