In June 2020, the major motion picture, television, and streaming companies committed to bringing back and hiring an estimated 40,000 production workers to work on 75 production projects in the state that would invest over $2 billion into the Georgia economy over the following 18 months.
Another big piece of news: we are in the process of moving to a larger space to accommodate our growing business. We are always ready to give you a tour to check out all that we have to offer, including all of your production equipment needs, a soundstage and green screen.
Etowah Film Festival will be back in person for Year 3 at the Historic Canton Theatre in Canton, Georgia October 7-10. Hosting a wide variety of local and international films, panels, a screenplay competition, and networking parties throughout the weekend, EFF’s mission is to reinvigorate the theatrical experience through unique, thoughtful, curation and a hell of a lot of fun.
Savannah Jazz launched a campaign two years ago to achieve support for our planned Savannah Jazz History Exhibit to be housed in the Savannah History Museum downtown. Savannah’s rich Jazz history has is as old and significant as that of New Orleans, but the story has yet to be told.
Eclipse Creative announces the launch of its latest creation, “Homegrown,” on Magnolia Network and Discovery+. Executive produced by Jennifer Mador and Showrunner Nicole Chiulli, Homegrown follows Jamila Norman, an Atlanta-based farmer, as she helps families transform their ordinary, urban backyards into working farms.
Marvel’s “Black Widow” is now out in theaters and streaming on Disney+ with Premier Access. There’s a chance you’ll spot some familiar locations if you watch closely.
Zach Breder is missing a right ventricle in his heart. He’s had more than 10 surgeries that have helped keep him alive into his teens, including one just six weeks ago. The 16-year-old Cartersville resident also happens to love filmmaking and had a vision to create a science fiction movie.
David Paterson, partner at Arcady Bay Entertainment, said the new studio will be the first one in the city built specifically for film and TV production. The Savannah College of Art and Design operates three sound stages in a converted meat-packing plant, and recently announced plans to expand the facility.
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia.
The Georgia Council for the Arts, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), today announced the recipients of its Bridge, Project, and Arts Education grants as part of its initial disbursement of grants for fiscal year 2022. A total of 266 grants were awarded that will provide more than $2 million in funding towards arts initiatives throughout the state.
In Part I of our three-part blog series on payroll pain points, we explored five of the most prevalent challenges small businesses face, including dealing with compliance issues, managing manual and time-consuming processes, and grappling with understaffing challenges.
“We are beyond grateful that the City and WSAV will continue their lead partnerships to deliver the 40th Savannah Jazz Festival, poised to reach our biggest audience ever,” says Paula Fogarty, Interim Executive Director. Last year’s festival was live streamed from Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum reaching 175,000 people around the world and all shows will be streamed again this year in front of the largest live audiences.
The winners of the Olympic Virtual Series Baseball, Motor Sport and Sailing Events received an Olympic Virtual Series Plaque (winner, 1st runner up, 2nd runner up). The winner (first place only) of each of the competitive events will also have the opportunity to hold the Olympic Virtual Series trophy at a special awarding occasion to be organised later in 2021, subject to travel possibilities during this global pandemic.
SITORA is inspired by a lost Malay horror film from 1964 entitled SITORA HARIMAU JADIAN. The film was written and directed by Malaysian auteur P. Ramlee and was shown at least once on Radio Television Malaysia. The film is rumored to have been destroyed in a flood.
Tickets can be purchased for $15 (+ fees) at discounted Early Bird Rate for the first 100 people. General Admission Advanced tickets are $25 (+ fees) and Day of Show Tickets are $30 (+ fees).
Business owners and entertainment professionals from Columbus and beyond attended the Film Columbus GA virtual event on Wednesday, June 23rd. The event, usually held live, connects entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses.
The Pennsylvania Legislature opted not to include a proposed expansion of the state’s film incentive program in its 2021-22 budget — a setback for the local entertainment industry’s efforts to entice more Hollywood projects to film in the commonwealth.
The American Music Fairness Act also levels the playing field by ensuring all competing music platforms are treated the same and ending the archaic and unfair subsidy under which FM/AM stations pay nothing for recorded music while their digital competitors pay fair market value royalties.
Striving for three decades to receive a named role in a major film production, Columbus native Thedra Porter has reached that goal in a movie featuring one of Hollywood’s most popular stars.
Payroll: it’s a love/hate relationship for many business owners. It’s a critical activity for serving your employees, but the process is notoriously cumbersome.
Women in Music (WIM) Atlanta connected with four fellow WIM Chapters to feature women leaders and performers in five of the top music cities in the U.S. — Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville and New York City in June. The online event, entitled WIM Atlanta Presents: Five City Music Tour, was free for WIM members all over the U.S.
Bennett Thrasher, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing certified public accounting and consulting firms, is one of six firms in the country approved by the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) to conduct new mandatory film tax credit audits for production companies.
TDJREV continues to be focused on change and intentional about how and where it invests to ensure that its development vision helps break down barriers to success, supports the social and financial impact goals within communities to help the economy better perform and fuel advancement for all citizens.
“We are beyond grateful that the City and WSAV will continue their lead partnerships to deliver the 40th Savannah Jazz Festival, poised to reach our biggest audience ever,” says Paula Fogarty, Interim Executive Director. Last year’s festival was live streamed from Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum reaching 175,000 people around the world.
In addition to producing the film, Bradford helped write the screenplay and played the lead character. Other actors hired locally were for roles as extras and six of the baseball players used in “Undefiled” were former collegiate players from Macon.
Experience music again! Lost Art Music Festival debuts June 12, 2021 at gorgeous Foxhall Resort in Douglasville with a lineup featuring St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Shovels & Rope, The War and Treaty, Ben Nichols of Lucero and The Pink Stones, plus a Friday Night Kickoff Show with Aaron Lee Tasjan.
Leaders from 13 film studios showcased a sampling of their summer movie releases in celebration of the nationwide return of movie theatres. As a part of The Big Screen Is Back initiative, the May event featured presentations from studio heads and executives, as well as notable actors and filmmakers, including JJ Abrams and Maggie Q.
Gov. Brian Kemp and a few dozen state and local officials visited Gwinnett Technical College on Monday to celebrate the beginning of a $37.8 million project that aims to educate more students interested in careers in cybersecurity and other emerging technologies as well as some bread-and-butter courses such as welding and physics.
As the union behind entertainment, we know that funding for the arts directly impacts job growth and work for our skilled craftspeople. Federal arts agencies – like the National Endowment for the Arts – support working families, bolster local economies, and ensure all Americans have access to the arts and entertainment.
By launching the program, KSU has joined a growing number of institutions nationwide participating in intercollegiate Esports. According to the National Association of Collegiate Esports, of which Kennesaw State is now a member, there were just seven varsity Esports programs at colleges and universities in July 2016.
Georgia’s film industry continues to flourish, not just in metro Atlanta, but in several regions across the state. One of the most promising film production hubs is the charming coastal city of Savannah, which brought in an outstanding $266.3 million just in 2019 thanks to the expanding industry.
Each year, kids living with critical illnesses are granted life-changing wishes. For one special young man from Cartersville, GA, that wish is one step closer than before. Make-A-Wish Georgia partnered up with Trilith Studios and The Georgia Film Academy to bring to life the wish of 16-year old Zach, whose wish is to create his very own film.
“We are very excited about our next quarterly Film Columbus GA event. These two speakers bring a very rounded approach to what’s happening in Georgia and the Columbus region, ” stated Joel Slocumb, Columbus Film Commissioner.
The company doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon with two projects currently being filmed in Thomasville and two more unnamed films planning to be filmed later this year.
The decision by nearly two dozen Republican governed states to terminate federal pandemic unemployment insurance programs months before they are currently set to expire in September pulls the rug out from live event workers who have already suffered enough.
Devotion, a major motion picture filmed in the Savannah region, wrapped in April. During filming of the movie, Joe Jonas also starred in a commercial filmed locally titled This Summer’s Forecast: Sunshine in a Glass with Tanqueray Sevilla Orange & Joe Jonas.
Sande Chen earned a Writers Guild nomination for her work on Witcher and leads the IGDA’s Game Design special interest group. Join us June 12 as she keynotes CIMFest with “Flavored by Authenticity: How personal experiences amplify narrative.”
Through seamless collaboration across sound, picture, and VFX, our trifecta of companies provide state-of-the-art, globally-competitive post, servicing all advertising needs for the nations most elite brands—not to mention, accomplished entirely within the State of Georgia.
“As production ramps up in Georgia following the pandemic, this is the perfect time for UGA to launch our MFA in Film, Television, and Digital Media. With 49 film and television shows currently in production, the industry in Georgia has never been stronger,” says Jeff Springston, Director of MFA Programs.
Attendees can join panels and meet-and-greets with Billy West (Futurama, Space Jam) and other surprise voice actors from famous franchises this December. Winterfest by MomoCon’s exhibitors will also include game developers, the hottest pop culture merchandise, and more.
The State of Independent Music: Yesterday, Today, and Beyond was the title of GPP’s June meeting. The panel was presented on their Facebook page and free to all. The meeting highlighted a discussion around new opportunities that have been created for the music industry.
The DeKalb Entertainment Commission (DEC) is thrilled to announce that we will host our 2021 Entertainment Expo virtually on May 18, 2021, at 1 p.m. via Zoom and Facebook Live. The community is invited to join this free virtual event.
Delegates to the International Federation of Actors (FIA) 22nd World Congress elected Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) President Gabrielle Carteris to serve as the organization’s president — the first time an American leader has been elected to helm the nearly 70 year old global union federation.
Only 35 scripts now remain from a record 2,385 submissions for The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition. 17 feature film screenplays, 11 pilots, and 7 shorts represent the very best, from what was already a wonderful array of fresh and talented voices.
Founded in 1881 as one of Atlanta’s HBCUs, Morris Brown lost its accreditation in 2002. While enrollment at the school fluctuated between 30 to 50 students over the last nineteen years, receiving reaccreditation approval in April 2021 means that the college can apply for federal financial aid this coming academic year.
Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young and Ryan Eggold have boarded the movie. They join previously announced castmembers Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer.
The Lakewood Fairgrounds in South Atlanta has a storied past going back more than a century. Over the years, it has hosted countless farmers showing off their prize pigs, hordes of teenagers screaming down a 66-foot roller coaster drop and crowds of antique shoppers angling for bargains.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) issued the following statement by its Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier on the release of the annual Special 301 Report by the United States Trade Representative (USTR):
The scriptwriter, Ty Manns, is a retired U.S. Army Infantry officer who now lives in Phenix City. Manns already has recognition for another successful film “A Question of Faith.”
In his role as a consultant, McCrea told director Randall Emmett and his crew how sheriffs and their deputies act, in their official capacity: How do they secure crime scenes? How do they search a building? Where do they put the crime scene tape when they find a body?
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, came as schools and the NCAA reckon with a growing push to permit certain kinds of financial benefits for college athletes who are often the focus of lucrative advertising campaigns and video games.
“The Campaign” – a comedy/fantasy web series produced by Action Show Studios – has signed with The Fantasy Network to stream their original episodes. The series, about gamers physically transported into the world of their role-playing adventure, will be available on The Fantasy Network beginning August 27, 2021.
According to the SBA’s inspector general, as of February, more than 57,000 potentially ineligible borrowers took $3.6 billion from the PPP.[1] The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has prosecuted over 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases related to the PPP, in addition to claiming more than $60 million in cash from fraudulently obtained PPP funds.
This year’s event June 12 features new presentations from a number of your favorite SIEGE speakers, including Ryan Kline, Zane Everett and Simon Hoffiz, as well as a number of new speakers.
Immediately prior to closing this acquisition, Meredith will spin off to its existing shareholders its National Media Group operating division, which owns the nation’s largest portfolio of magazines as well as digital and marketing assets.
Join GPP on Tuesday, May 4th at 12 pm EST for a discussion about education in the entertainment industry in Georgia! This month features a powerful panel of creators and educators who are power houses in Georgia.
Erica Lumpert is CEO of Security Associates of Coastal Georgia. In this edition of EXPOSED, she talks about how the company managed in 2020, business activity in the security space, technology that is being adopted to keep workers safe and her thoughts on the film, event and entertainment industry.
Imagine a giant titan in a fantasy world who trips, bumps his head and falls into a coma as a “sleeper” in an alternative reality. Along comes a community who, together, curate the world of which he dreams.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will partner with five International Sports Federations (IFs) and game publishers to produce the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS), the first-ever, Olympic-licensed event for physical and non-physical virtual sports.
Corporate compliance programs are an instrumental tool to prevent the fallout from infringement of applicable laws and regulations. Failing to comply with regulations, from local to international, can result in steep penalties and land your business in hot water with the government, so building out the best possible compliance program is critical.
The QA Tester will work closely with the QA Manager, Product, Engineering, and Design Teams to ensure mobile game software is of the highest quality in functionality, usability, and fun.
The Machine Group a minority based company developed by Alvin and Calvin Waters announced the launch of a new division to offer music services for film, television broadcasting and digital gaming needs being developed in the state of Georgia.
Founder Ryan Millsap announced Wednesday the sale of Blackhall Studios to Commonwealth Group, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, for $120 million.
With all eyes are on Georgia, please join EP’s Joe Chianese for a conversation with a dynamic group of producers and industry & incentive experts, as they discuss what’s happening in Georgia, including COVID-19 protocols & practical applications, digital production tools & solutions, the current audit process & pending agreed upon audit procedures, as well as a legislative update on the Georgia Incentive Program, and much more!
The new legislation is expected to attract greater production activity, especially smaller-scale productions, to the state and put Tennessee on a competitive footing with other states that offer tax incentives to the industry.
More than a decade after Georgia launched its production tax credit program, Marvel shoots its films and TV shows at the 18-stage Trilith Studios. In 2015, Tyler Perry converted Atlanta’s retired Fort McPherson Army Base into his 330-acre Tyler Perry Studios, the largest production studio in the U.S.
Y’all. I admit, when I heard there were murmurings of Hollywood boycotting the Georgia film industry again after Governor Kemp signed the egregious SB 202, I ignored them. Surely, I thought, these nice liberals from the West Coast haven’t forgotten our oh-so-recent history together.
SCAD says its Savannah Film Studios will include at 10.9-acre backlot, a new digital stage and three new soundstages. The first stage of the expansion will open this fall with the backlot completed by 2023. The project will also include a building for set design and costume design and classroom space.
If your company is part of a controlled group, you may still be eligible for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). Being a part of an aggregated group of companies does not disqualify you as an eligible employer – it simply changes the rules.
After a long hiatus from live music in front of sizeable audiences, Savannah Jazz is back in action with their Circle of Friend’s Gig on May 14 at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.
Beverly also help launch the career of Academy Award Nominee Abigail Breslin, casting her in her first leading film role in “The Ultimate Gift” which was followed by her critically-acclaimed performance in the film “Little Miss Sunshine”.
These projects total over $8.43 billion in new investments, representing a 67% increase in new investments compared to the first nine months of the previous fiscal year. Likewise, job creation is up 49% over the same period during fiscal year 2020.
The founder of TRICK 3D Studio, Chad Eikhoff, and the founder of Music Matters Productions, Aaron Soriero, today announced their partnership on Atlanta’s first extended reality (XR) stage using the game engine technology leveraged by Hollywood director Jon Favreau and others, Unreal Engine from Epic Games.
The report includes data from 161 feature films and 266 TV series, each of which used the Production Environmental Accounting Report (PEAR), created in partnership by SPA and the Producers Guild of America Foundation’s PGA Green committee.
Tyler Perry was one of the first producers to come up with a comprehensive plan to safely restart TV production in April 2020, just several weeks into the pandemic-related Hollywood shutdown.
According to Film Savannah, the beach filming will take place Wednesday, April 7 on the beach near 3rd Street. However, a set is being built weeks in advance of the shoot and 3rd Street will have to be closed for about 20 days.
Amid backlash to Georgia’s newly passed voting law, New Jersey is attempting to poach business from the Peach State. On Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to some of the major studios, including Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros
The cameras are rolling in North Carolina’s Hollywood East, also known as Wilmington. The coastal city has hosted a slew of film and TV projects over the years, from “Dawson’s Creek” to the in-progress series “Hightown” and upcoming space thriller “I.S.S.”
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia.
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
This weekend Beast Beast will be playing at the PLAZA Theater in Atlanta! At lonnng last you get to check it out as it’s meant to be seen, on a big screen, with immersive sound and maybe some popcorn smells through your mask!
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.