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.
Theresa Daniel retired from teaching in Monroe County and was looking for her “second act.” She found it as an actress in over 75 productions that have filmed in Georgia. Theresa got her start as an extra in an...
There is no greater success story than a production revitalizing a community. And that is exactly what happened in Covington. The long-running TV series “The Vampire Diaries” used many of the landmarks in downtown...
As the setting of the HBO series “Sharp Objects,” Barnesville went through a dramatic transformation that brought jobs and economic opportunity. Production crews shopped in stores, hired locals for various set projects...
Scott Nickelson left Georgia after high school only to return 20 years later to work as a communications technician within the film industry. Now living in Rome with his family, Scott is part of Exchange Communications...
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.
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...
Like a lot of people, Alexander Kane wanted to become an actor in the movies. Against all odds in south Georgia, Kane made that dream come true. And then, like the countless working actors before him, Kane wanted to...
Georgia.org Content: Chelsea Lockhart graduated from SCAD with a Masters in Production Design and began her career as a production assistant. Because of the booming film industry in Georgia, she quickly was able to use...
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...
Raniero Daza has always wanted to be part of the film and theater world. Born in Chile and raised in Florida, he worked in set construction in television and theater. However, his career really started to take off when...
Kayla Thomas thinks we could all use a little more humor in our lives.
What inspired her to get involved in the film? “It really started when I was in Georgia College my sophomore year. We had a film class and learned...
Recent movie production has drawn excitement from Macon residents. HBO has been filming off Cherry Street in downtown Macon, and city officials have been happy with the economic investment it has brought. Productions can...
Catering by Chef Rob was started by Robert Smith and is based in Doraville. His company handles all the catering for many productions throughout Atlanta. Since relocating to DeKalb County, Robert has created four...
What started out as custom rugs for one film production, quickly grew to supplying the flooring and carpet for over 20 productions. Dalton based and family-owned Myers Carpet continues to meet the flooring needs of...
Tucker native Daren Gayle and his wife Karen are burnishing Georgia’s image one gift basket at a time. They saw an opportunity with the influx of cast and crew coming to Georgia to film. Since then, Georgia Gifts and...
The Savannah Economic Development Authority (“SEDA”) facilitates business attraction, retention, and expansion in Savannah, operating various divisions including the Savannah Regional Film Commission (“SRFC”). The film...
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...
A filmmaker in Canton has finally realized his decades-long dream of directing and writing a feature-length movie.
“Jesse’s Gift” is the feature film debut of director and screenwriter Ken Merritt.
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...
Daniel Deckebach started working in restaurants to supplement income, but he found greater economic opportunities as a grip in Atlanta’s film community. By happenstance, he served crew members in a restaurant in East...
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...
The city of Roswell serves as Houston in the Academy Award-winning film, "First Man."
As a swimming pool contracting business, Aquatic Environments has benefited from the numerous amount of water scenes in productions shot in Georgia. In fact, the upswing in business related to film has added 20 percent...
Like so many others working in the Georgia film and television production industry, Gee Gee Smith kept working at something she loved and turned it into a career in film. You won’t see her on the big screen, but you’ll...
