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.
For Ginger Steele of Columbus, Georgia's film and TV production industry provided a new career path in her 40s.
Ginger, now 51, was working in radio when Columbus State university began offering its associate degree...
When the construction buyer for Netflix’s “A Man in Full” placed an order for lumber and construction materials with Cofer Studio Supply, the Cofer team launched into action. They triple-checked the order and loaded it...
Beth Castro and her catering company, Elizabeth’s Catering, specializes in custom cakes. Word quickly spread in the film industry, and she was hired to do wrap parties and production catering. What started as an...
When her job in the energy industry was eliminated due to downsizing, Mallory deGolian created a new, thriving career in Georgia’s film and television production industry as a food stylist.
Before his job as an on-set production dresser, Germaine Riggs could not afford health insurance. His position as a cook didn't pay all the bills, and he had to supplement his income with food delivery jobs. A degree...
Mamie Pound always had a passion for the entertainment industry as she worked as a local radio and television personality. After she left the industry, she opened her own small business, the Rothchild Pound House Bed and...
The Netflix original crime drama, Ozark, was filmed right here in Georgia. See what the cast has to say about filming in this beautiful state.
Synopsis:
When a money-laundering job with a Mexican drug cartel goes awry...
Jantzen Winnig, a Covington native, grew up with a passion for filmmaking. He also was very fortunate to have constant productions filming in his backyard of Newton County. This allowed him to meet many directors and...
Retired sheriff’s deputy, Ben Payne, started Risk Management Associates of Georgia to address the security challenges on production sets and studios. He now employs 50 full-time employees, with many of them being on-call...
To put in perspective how high and how fast Natalia Temesgen has climbed the ladder of Hollywood writers, you simply need to know the plan this Columbus State University associate professor of English has to watch her...
Michael Monty grew up in Georgia, went to college in Florida, then planned to head to California to start a career in film... Only to discover there were more jobs back home.
"The infrastructure in Georgia just led to...
HBO's "Sharp Objects" filmed entirely in Barnesville, Georgia."We hope when this production company leaves they sing the praises of Barnesville."
Macon native Catina was drawn back to her home state after a stint studying film production at UCLA. As the industry acknowledged the incredible growth of the film industry in Georgia, she thought it would be a perfect...
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...
Daniel Minchew opened Studio Space Atlanta in 2008 and Atlanta Filmworks Studio in 2013, and he has been growing his infrastructure ever since. Recently, Studio Space Atlanta opened a warehouse space in Smyrna, featuring...
Austin Arizpe had dabbled in stunt work enough in Texas and New Orleans to know that he liked it. In fact, he decided to make it his next career, after an injury had ended his time as a dancer, with classical ballet...
Stacy Milner remembers having to explain the acronym to her peers.
The longtime entertainment industry professional was discussing helping students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) break into her...
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...
Countless people in Georgia benefit from the billions of dollars generated by the state’s film and TV production.
Now, thanks to a rescue dog’s starring role in a summer sci-fi movie, the same can be said for non-human...
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...
Myles-Anthony Johnson, age 17, asked all the right questions, and that’s exactly the point:
• How do I get involved?
• What degrees would help me get into the entertainment industry?
• What are some of the jobs that...
David Nash was a struggling remodeling contractor who decided to try his hand at set carpentry in the film industry. Today, he is the owner of his own studio, Wilder Studios, which has been fully booked since it opened...
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...
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.
