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.
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...
Nikki Johnson, a set dresser from Jasper, says she is grateful for the film industry and the opportunity to make a good living without a college degree.
“My husband and I are building a house right now,” says Nikki....
If you love to shop, you’d love Amanda Cornell’s job. She buys most of the stuff that winds up on a movie set. Actually, it’s more than shopping.
Nelson Burke has always been known as the “Engineer Guy,” supplying plastics-material for customers in the automotive and home-building industry. Then the film industry changed everything in his business. He now supports...
Catrina “Cat” Dygert hasn’t been wasting time. The self-described journalist and filmmaker has already co-written a screenplay that has been turned into a film; plays, monologues, articles, and reviews are on her resume...
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...
As the sun rises over Atlanta, the team at Reel Supplies loads up trucks with building materials to be shipped to one of dozens of Georgia film studios. It’s another busy day for the team, doing whatever it takes to...
It was a rough time for C&C Draperies, a decades-old family business in Tucker.
About a decade ago, the housing market and changing times had crumbled the old business model.
“Nobody does residential draperies anymore...
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...
Athens resident Danielle Rusk is a key assistant location manager who sees the film industry’s impact on small businesses every day. In her role she must coordinate business relationships with tent companies, equipment...
When she was young, sleepovers became film sets as Megan Lombardo made movies with her friends playing the starring roles.
"I was always making videos as a little girl," she says. "I don't remember ever wanting to do...
Local talent agencies supply actors to productions large and small, but first you’ve got to get your foot in the door.
When 9-year-old Lila Jane Meadows of Roswell heard an agency, the one that gave Chandler Riggs of...
Jeremy Colwell has an unusual relationship with movies. He tends to like the ones other people don’t. The Mike Myers version of Cat in the Hat is a case in point. “Check it out; it’s an underrated gem,” he says. A...
Hudson Hickory House in Douglasville has been owned and operated by Buford and Scot Huson since 1971. But it wasn’t until the growth of Georgia’s film economy that the restaurant had the opportunity to shine in front of...
Joy Merle of Sandy Springs started her catering company, Finding Flavor, out of her mother’s kitchen. When she lost her biggest customer in 2015, she turned to film productions to find more clients. “I sent out about 200...
Covington resident Nicole Kanoy took her love for animals and made it into a business, supplying and training animals for productions in Georgia. It became so lucrative that she started Animals On Set, a small business...
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...
As the film industry continues to explode in Georgia, local colleges and universities are adjusting their programs in an effort to give students and alumni a voice in show business.
Whether they want to be in front of...
Atlanta Eats has been filming Atlanta's most delicious, interesting and one-of- a-kind restaurants for a decade. We take the approach that just because content is local, doesn't mean it can't be high quality and gorgeous...
Local companies are opening all over the state to support the growing film industry, but the University of Georgia recognized there was a gap in the coverage.
"We realized what we were missing was the training of...
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”...
Production Sound Mixer Kevin Strahm found his way to Savannah after working in Augusta, Charlotte, and with his family’s mission in the Philippines. He had always had a passion for the audio visual industry, observing...
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...
