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.

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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
After moving to Georgia from Puerto Rico to work in production rigging, Manny Rivera saw an opportunity to start his own business. Grip It Good was founded in 2015, and it supplies rigging equipment to TV and film...
Family-owned Lightin’ Production Rentals has been serving Georgia’s film industry for nearly 40 years. However, it doubled its product line and grew to 70 employees ever since the film tax credits were passed. The...
In a Savannah movie theatre 22 years ago, a four-year-old girl sat, entranced, watching the blockbuster Titanic with her mother. It was an event that would make a lasting impression on her life and career.
“It was the...
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...
Occasionally we check-in with some of the people featured in our stories to learn how their careers are progressing in Georgia's production industry. Here's an update on Theresa Daniel.
When Covid-19 derailed...
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...
Gwinnett Place Mall is transformed into an abandoned mall in "The Darkest Minds," where crew and actors spent days filming scenes for the series.
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...
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.
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...
St. Simons native Sara Alread always had a dream to be a film producer, but work seemed to be scarce. After forging a career in graphic design, she found more film producing opportunities as more productions came to...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
There are Hollywood family dynasties that everyone knows: the Barrymores, the Clooneys, the Coppolas. They've been making movie magic for generations. But there are other families that no one would recognize who've been...
“In a business, two brains are always better than one!” Storyboard artist Brian McGee perfectly sums up his relationship with wife and agent Audrey Beharie. The two of them teamed up to start B.R.E. Productions...
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...
