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.

Erika Crawford Gordon of Rome is a Registered Nurse with Northside Hospital who found a way to make extra income as a babysitter on production sets for TV and film. With this new revenue opportunity, Erika has been able...
After losing her job in special education, Jessica Lowry capitalized on the popularity of productions filming right in her backyard of Covington. She created Hollywood of the South Tours to take “Vampire Diary” fans...
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...
Sunnyside ATV Paradise, located in Wrens, Georgia, has found itself as the perfect location for Georgia-based productions. It has served as the mountains of Afghanistan to the backdrop of various music videos. But it...
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...
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...
Business owners, Maryelle St. Clare and Christine Nelson, breathed new life into an abandoned warehouse in Atlanta. The sisters, who owned a set decorating company called Oompalala, turned the space into a mini-mall for...
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...
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...
Kalena Boller is a location manager from Hapeville who came to Atlanta after graduating with a film degree from Howard University. Through working in the industry, she become inspired by the stories of the legions of...
Ellenwood resident, Jeff Nix, found a way to use his expertise of reptiles and exotic insects to make a living in the film industry in Georgia. Over the past couple of years, he has built a business off supplying...
When he entered the University of Georgia as a freshman, Kyle Hamlin had decided opera was his future.
"I thought I wanted to be an opera singer," he says. "I realized that was not the path for me, so I switched to...
Filming under the Gold Dome! "The Walking Dead" transformed the Georgia State Capitol into a dystopian museum, making it the first production set of its kind. Governor Nathan Deal even dropped by the set.
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...
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...
Georgia prides itself on having locations to fit almost every film staging, and Clayton County native (and GSU graduate) Kyle Hinshaw knows them all as a location manager. Whether it’s Atlanta as a setting for a car...
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...
WaterMan Spring Water in Athens has been delivering water to film crews throughout Georgia. Founder Greg Reece used to work for the city of Athens but now has shifted to working full time for his small business that...
The trustees of Timothy Lutheran Church (TLC) in Woodstock were excited to get an unexpected windfall from the Christian movie “A Walking Miracle” filmed in Georgia. While looking for a location to shoot a pivotal action...
For Decatur resident Nikki Dillard, following her dream to enter the film industry meant moving to a new state that has become a global leader for movie and TV production, according to officials.
Originally from Chicago...
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...
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...
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.
