Georgia Film Stories
Georgia is one of the top film-production centers in the world, thanks to the Georgians, small businesses and engaged communities that work together to create the best climate for storytellers to succeed.
In fact, the best stories in the business are the personal stories of the Georgians who work behind the scenes — whether it’s the production that has spurred new investment in a local community, the small business that has expanded to serve the industry, or the Georgian who has obtained professional training to become a crewmember on a set. Collaborating with industry partners and Georgia’s “camera ready” contacts, the Georgia Film Office is cataloging stories in Georgia’s film industry from across the state to tell the story of how “Georgia Film Works!” Submit your own Georgia Film success story.
Small Business Stories
Small business stories spotlight the local small businesses that serve Georgia’s film industry.
Production Stories
Production stories spotlight the impact specific movie productions have had in local Georgia communities.
Georgian Stories
Georgian stories spotlight individuals working in Georgia’s film industry.
Georgia Film Academy
The Georgia Film Academy is a collaborative effort between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to support the workforce in Georgia’s film industry. It is affiliated with more than 25 campuses across the state and connects Georgia students with production employment.
Cast and crew of the movie, “Reactor,” have started filming in Cordele. Drawing on the unique resources of south Georgia, the production was able to film in Fitzgerald and Valdosta. Producers are also employing a number...
Merritt Sullivan was a trained horticulturalist and loved everything about plants. But a few years after college, she was frustrated by the limited opportunities in nurseries and landscaping.
Eric White started as a server in various restaurants around Forsyth, but wanted the chance to explore his creative side in his home state. After graduating from film school, he started working in crew positions on...
The 2012 production of “Wanderlust” had a large impact on Habersham County, with over 200 production crew, staff, and actors residing in the North Georgia county for over 12 weeks. Mountain cabin rentals and local...
Set lighting technician Colin Luke moved to Georgia from Louisiana to join the thriving film industry in the state. As a skilled lighting technician, Colin works with the director of photography to light sets and...
Senoia is situated in Coweta County, approximately 35 miles south of Atlanta, and has a population of just over 5,000 according to the 2020 US Census. Although primarily a residential community, Senoia has garnered...
Movie stars such as Bruce Willis and Luke Wilson have been seen around Tifton, but the excitement around filming in this community extends far beyond celebrity sightings. The economic impact to Georgia’s “Friendly City”...
A bike shop in a funky Atlanta neighborhood has blossomed with the growth of Georgia’s film & TV industry, with its Hapeville warehouse supplying cast, crew and productions with equipment and service.
Back in the 1950s downtown Covington was a thriving retail center for Newton County. On the square shops sold shoes, clothes, jewelry, and furniture. There were restaurants, hair salons and barber shops. Then came the...
Filming of the baseball-themed movie “Undefiled” helped bring jobs and an economic boost to Macon after months of stagnation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Bradford Haynes, a former professional baseball player...
Atlanta native Ariel Kaplan grew up watching her mother run an antique store. Now, she is the one looking for unique items as prop master and set decertor in the film industry. Ariel loves researching the periods for...
The major motion picture, “Wash Me in the River,” began filming in Waycross, and the whole town got in on the action. The charm of the southern Georgian town attracted the film’s producers for the film starring Robert De...
Greg Fischer grew up in Atlanta, but when he and his wife fell in love with rehabbing old houses, a friend suggested they move to where the action is - Macon.
Andrea McDougal and her husband Christpher are the owners of McDougal Movie Medics, which staff productions with certified emergency medical professionals. Before starting their own business, Andrea worked with Grady EMS...
Former Miss Cobb County, Lace Larrabee got an opportunity of a lifetime: to act in a TV series filmed in Atlanta. Ironically, the series was about pageants, so Lace was a perfect fit. But the experience ignited a passion...
For Boise Cascade, a wholesale distributor of building materials for residential and commercial construction markets, Georgia’s film industry is a consistent and reliable channel for the company that fills gaps during...
Macon native, Alan Rawkins, started Gentleman Grips to supply trucking and grip equipment for productions in Georgia. Founded in 1988, the company has grown from one truck to six 40-foot trucks and five truckloads of...
What started in front of the camera for Chris Birdsong has ignited a successful career behind the camera years later. Well, if being dragged to sets by your mother to be an extra counts, then that’s exactly what Chris...
Covington, located approximately 35 miles east of Atlanta, has been long established as a pivotal film and television production hub in Georgia. Benefiting from its scenic cityscapes, robust production infrastructure...
Film “opened up a new market” for Hall Atlanta Wholesale Florist, a family-owned small business that has been around since 1921. The company has supplied arrangements to productions in order to meet every visual medium...
Nora Clark did a bit of a zigzag on her way to a film production career in Savannah. But now that she's there, she envisions staying put.
"I came to Savannah to teach dance," she says. "I was finishing a class when a...
The city of Roswell serves as Houston in the Academy Award-winning film, "First Man."
Barbara Zagrodnik has always been on the front lines of the growing film community in Augusta. With each production in Augusta, Barbara sees the impact on crew depth, location logistics, and overall community development...
