
The Georgia Film Academy and Atlanta Technical College Continuing Education are offering Introduction to Digital Entertainment, Esports & Game Development (GFA 1500) this summer and fall! Registration is now open through their portal – open to anyone!

Our July meeting will be held in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s CreateX accelerator and feature David Schulman, one of the leading game industry lawyers in the South.

“When we started working on the intersection of creativity and enterprise, there was no other place we could go,” Best said. “If you think about where there are so many enterprise businesses and a creator community, Atlanta is the only place in the country that has what it has.”

The investment includes a capital commitment of $500 million that will support Shadowbox’s growth strategy, including existing soundstage development projects in the Atlanta, London, and Los Angeles metro areas with over $1.5 billion of expected capital investment.

The Columbus Entertainment 100 event, presented by Georgia Entertainment News and the Columbus Film Commission is set for July 20th at the beautiful Chattahoochee River Club. The evening affair will host the who’s who of entertainment including directors, producers and studio executives.

An expansion underway at EUE/Screen Gems Studios’ Atlanta campus will add 60,000 square feet of first-class production soundstage space including an additional 15,000 square feet of production office space and 15,000 square feet of mill/support space.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP) today announced the inaugural class of the MPA-EICOP Entertainment Law & Policy Fellowship program.

The School of Film, Media & Theatre capped off the year with its annual showcase, the Georgia State University Student Film Festival (GSUSFF). The festival celebrates student films written, produced and directed by current film and media majors and M.A. production students of the 2021-2022 academic year.

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.

Now music supervisors are looking to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE. According to IATSE, 75% of film and television music supervisors have signed authorization cards to join the union.

Top business leaders and trade officials from Belgium, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, visited Georgia State on Monday for a firsthand look at the university’s cutting-edge game design and production facilities.

As it is, Tom Cruise’s Top Gun sequel easily cruised to $500 million – $548.6 million, to be exact – without those two countries. Maverick still has to open in Korea (it bows there on June 23) but it has already grossed $257 million in over 60 territories after two weekends.

A Columbus soccer player is hitting the big screen as Shevah Rezaee, a player on the Columbus Rapids soccer team, along with several other Georgia soccer players and referees are featured in the film “High Expectations.”

“Becoming ANNIKA” will also be shown on the NBC broadcast network on Sunday, June 5, ahead of final round coverage of the 77th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica from Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.

The five-day event will be presented by Chromatic Black in partnership with Steal The Sun Studios. The festival will also be accessible virtually from September 20 to September 30, 2022. Badges are now on sale at a 50 percent discount.

RoadShow Equity Partners is pleased to announce the launch of RoadShow Africa, the first platform to offer investors the opportunity to participate in a diverse portfolio of risk-mitigated media projects involving filmmakers from Africa engaging with Georgia.

Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) announced Peachtree TV as the exclusive broadcast home of the all-new patriotic celebration “Look Up Atlanta” on Sunday, July 3.

Savannah Jazz, in partnership with the City of Savannah and WSAV announces that the 41st Savannah Jazz Festival will take place September 20 – 24. Free, live, and in Person!

During the height of pandemic lockdowns in 2020, Kelly Kline and her wife Symantha Reenders restored and re-imagined a 1970 Scotty Serro camper and turned it into a cozy, farm-style mobile bar, now known and available for bookings as Treehouse Tap.

On Friday, May 20, SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative agreement with major broadcast networks and other producers on the National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting (Network Television Code).

California’s economy took off with Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick as its wingman, according to new data from the studio. The high-flying film added over $150 million to the economy when it filmed throughout the state. The production also created 2,820 high-quality jobs for Californians.

The Media Financial Management Association, which was founded in 1961 to provide nationwide professional development for finance executives in the media industry, will present the award to Trilith Studios at the association’s annual conference on May 25th.

Pamela Perrine has been making short films since she moved to Watkinsville about six years ago, and now her latest effort is available for public viewing on YouTube.

A Georgia teen got to see his film dreams come true thanks to the help of Georgia’s Make-A-Wish organization. At just 17-years-old Zach Breder is a filmmaker whose life hasn’t always been the easiest.

Back to Doctor Strange 2, Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as the surgeon-turned-superhero easily topped the domestic charts since a certain maverick pilot will not fly in till next week. The MCU epic picked up $31.6 million which added to the movie’s $342 million North American grosses so far.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce announced its slate of legislative endorsements for the 2022 Primary Election. As the premiere statewide business advocacy organization, the Chamber not only engages in public policy matters, but it also engages politically to ensure candidates for office remain focused on building a better state for business.

Time for a little trivia. What is the world’s fastest-growing sport? It’s not soccer. And it’s not pickleball (unless we’re…

Film Biz Savannah takes items from film sets that wrap up in the area and brings them to its warehouse for others to rent out. The environmental nonprofit was established in New York City back in 2008 handed over to now-President Samita Wolfe in 2016. Wolfe opened the doors in Savannah on Earth Day in 2017.

Breeze Airways, the new low-fare airline founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, announced that it is launching 5 new routes this summer from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

“The team at Trilith continues to set the standard for studio operations not just here in Georgia but globally,” said Kelsey Moore, Executive Director of the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition. “We’re proud to announce this significant award and appreciate their leadership within the coalition.”

This year’s prizes totaled more than $160,000 in cash and partner donations, representing the single largest amount offered in the festival’s competitive categories. Additionally, ATLFF is pleased to share event facts and figures resulting from its hybrid blend of in-person and virtual presentations.

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 anything else.”

Since its inception, SAG-AFTRA has endeavored to bring protections to its singer and recording artist members. Some may be familiar with…

Start your career or improve upon your current skills in the industry with advanced knowledge. The PA Academy shows you what it takes to succeed while preparing you for your first day on set or your transition from a dayplayer to a core crew member.

In a Collaborative project The CSU Theater and Film programs are partnering with the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians to create a film about her life, career and internationally acclaimed work.

“Esports is one of the fastest growing industries that we have in the country right now,” said Jeffrey Stepakoff, Director of the Georgia Film Academy that offers classes on careers in esports. “In many ways we’re trying to shape this business to help bring it to Georgia.”

Jeremy Pack is the general manager of a company based just outside Atlanta that loans out high-end digital cameras and lenses. Pack moved to Atlanta from Los Angeles in 2018, a decade into the existence of Georgia’s uniquely generous tax-credit program for movie and television production, which has transformed the state into arguably the most popular shooting location in the country.

The major entertainment studios spoke out against Georgia’s “heartbeat” abortion bill in 2019, saying they would “rethink” their production plans in the state if the law ever went into effect.

The Georgia Film Academy and Atlanta Technical College Continuing Education are offering Introduction to Digital Entertainment, Esports & Game Development (GFA 1500) this summer and fall! Registration is now open through their portal – open to anyone!

Theatre Macon is pleased to announce their stage production of The Color Purple will run May 13 – May 22 at 438 Cherry St. This musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel spotlights Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over the course of 40 years forms the arc of this epic story.

A local Atlanta movie studio owner who used to work for Tyler Perry has sued a financier who took over his studio, claiming the new owner blocked him out and diverted funds away from the studio itself.

Tammy Williams, set to become the first Black woman to own a major production studio in Georgia, started with a vision.

Georgia may be known for being one of the biggest international airline hubs in the nation, but another industry is becoming a profitable industry for the Peach State.

Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia.

With Doctor Strange madness not starting until next weekend, it was quiet both domestically and internationally. But the overseas box office universe saw more action.

Thanks to Skillshot Media for hosting us earlier this month. They have offered GGDA members free passes to the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup May 7-8! We will be making this our May GGDA meeting and hope to see you there.

Our featured composer/pianist this month is Tanya Ostrovsky. She was born in Russia and began her piano studies at an early age. Tanya was a student at the Leningrad Conservatory until the 5th grade. When her family moved to Moscow, her music soared to a different level. Film and TV credits soon came.

The announcement is the result of an exclusive agreement between AMC and Cinionic, the Barco cinema joint venture and global leader in laser-powered cinema solutions, to significantly upgrade the on-screen presentation at 3,500 auditoriums throughout the United States, with cutting-edge laser projectors.

Global sports piracy costs media companies $28 billion a year in lost revenue, according to a recent study from Synamedia/Ampere . The study found that 74% of fans using illegal streams might be willing to pay to switch to a legitimate streaming provider.

Pennsylvania operates a $70 million tax credit program to expand the state’s film industry. The tax credit can be used to offset a project’s tax liability if Pennsylvania production expenses make up at least 60% of a film’s total production expenses, according to the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Under the signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), RIAA and the IPR Center will coordinate public and private sector efforts to disrupt and combat all forms of digital piracy.

Mack, who is graduating from Georgia State this spring with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Game Design and Development, said getting introduced to gaming at an early age wasn’t just about enjoying a hobby. It was a life-changing experience.

The massive talent of Nicolas Cage and the brute force of the Vikings were no match to criminal animals at the box office.

Co-Directed by Zandashé Brown and Jessica Anthony, IN THE BONES is a cinematic journey through Mississippi providing a poetic and sometimes painful portrait of American culture through the ordinary lives of women and children.
Erica Orofino’s film ‘She Keeps Me’ is being featured at this year’s Atlanta Film Festival. The film depicts the relationship between two sisters that reaches a dangerous climax in this exploration of family ties, mental illness, and self sacrifice.

The Atlanta Film Society kicked off the 46th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) with an Opening Night presentation of the narrative feature “892” and the announcement of its news Board of Director appointments.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) announces the return of SCADFILM’s signature SCAD GamingFest, streaming live to global audiences April 28–29, 2022.

The 46th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) revealed key programming highlights, including Opening and Closing Night presentations and the full lineup of selected works from a record-breaking nearly 10,000 submissions.

It’s Back! The Mountainfilm on Tour Savannah’s Film Festival is back April 29 – 30th at the Trustees Theater on Broughton Street! Please visit their website for tickets and the schedule lineup.

Northwest Georgia has become a hot spot for television and movie productions in recent years, including blockbusters such as “The Mule” starring Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper and Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” Several production companies have flocked to the area to utilize the scenic backdrops and diverse settings that are offered.

The projects starting up aren’t quite as grandiose, with the most notable a movie version of the former MTV TV series “Teen Wolf,” which actually shot its first couple of seasons in Atlanta a decade ago before moving its final four seasons to California. Fox is also shooting a pilot of a comedy starring D.L. Hughley.

Are more families finally feeling safer about going back to the cineplexes? The record box office figures of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, pegged at $71 million, the highest weekend debut ever of a video game adaptation movie in the United States and Canada, maybe a promising sign.

Governor Brian P. Kemp, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), announced that through the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 (July 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022), job creation and investments resulting from economic development projects have already surpassed fiscal year 2021 year-end totals.

Business owners and entertainment professionals from Columbus and beyond attended the Film Columbus GA virtual event on Wednesday, April 13th. The event, usually held live, connects entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses.

You are invited to the VIP screening of the documentary “The Power of the Pen,” on April 19, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. in the Howard Jordan Auditorium in Jordan College of Business Administration building at Savannah State University.

Four new Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) degrees will prepare students for careers in the entertainment industry, such as film and TV production. Beginning fall semester 2022, GGC will offer nexus degrees in professional editing in film/television, motion picture set lighting, production for film and television, and production design.

The Columbus Film Commission is inviting those interested to attend the next Film Columbus GA event. This virtual event will take place on April 13th at 3:00 PM and will be hosted via ZOOM.

A filmmaker debuted a documentary Sunday that’s centered around Augusta. People got to see “Finding Home — a Journey Through Augusta’s 20th Century Past” at the Imperial Theatre. Work on the film began in 1999 and continued until last year.

The times, they are a-changing. This weekend marked the third playing of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. It marked the arrival of Netflix cameras on property for Masters Week. And it marked the drop of a YouTube video unlike any other: Dude Perfect’s “All Sports Golf Battle at the Masters.”

“We want to tell this story right and support the Williams family and their community in the most positive ways,” says producer Richard A. Cohen. “Shooting in Columbus, Georgia will allow us to accomplish all of that and more.”

Columbus had a bit of Hollywood sparkle on Friday, as the Chattahoochee Valley made an appearance on the big screen. The cast and crew of faith-based film, “The Greatest Inheritance” returned to the Fountain City for their film premiere at the National Infantry Museum.

Georgia is one of the most popular states in the country for television and movie production. This is thanks, in part, to the state’s tax credit. But changes could be on the way as lawmakers could decide to cap tax breaks for film companies, which could have a big impact here in the Fountain City.

The wood and brick structure going up in downtown Macon’s Dunlap Park isn’t made to last. Contractors are building a set for next month’s filming of the musical adaptation of ‘The Color Purple,’ which is set for release in December of 2023.

Despite being savaged by critics as one of the worst Marvel movies ever, Morbius still chalked up respectable earnings of $39.1 million to debut at number one.

“The state film tax credit has grown and nurtured the Georgia film and television industry into a thriving economic business for both native Georgians and those who have recently made the state home,” notes Jeremiah Bennett, co-president of GPP.

Been missing seeing your peers in real life? Ready to expand your connections? Want to learn about esports opportunities and game design challenges? Come on out to Skillshot April 12 for all these as well as tours, free food and more.

Rodgers spent 11 years in Los Angeles working alongside major studios including NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, WarnerMedia, Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios on iconic brands like Game of Thrones, The Fast Saga, Spider-Man, X-Men, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Sonic the Hedgehog and Frozen.

Georgia’s booming film and television industry brought in a whopping $4 billion to its economy last year. But state officials want more than to rake in record amounts of money. They want the Peach State to be a national star of the lucrative entertainment industry.

Williams is the owner of Cinema South Studios. She will soon be making history as the first Black woman to own a major production complex in the state of Georgia.

A bill pending in the Georgia legislature would put a cap of $900 million on the amount of tax incentives the state gives to filmmakers each year, which has turned Georgia into one of the nation’s top filming destinations.

It took the combined star appeal of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, their surprise screwball comedy chemistry, and the allure of a treasure hunt in exotic jungle locations to topple The Batman.

Georgia Music Partners, a leader in improving and growing the music industry, announced recently a partnership with Sound Diplomacy to address the current state of Atlanta’s music economy. The first Atlanta: A Music Cities Business Summit addressed the potential for music to be a catalyst in bolstering Atlanta as a global business leader.

SCAD is proud to announce the contributions of more than 150 alumni who have contributed their talents to films nominated for the 94th Academy Awards. This year, SCAD alumni and students contributed to a total of 21 films that received nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Georgia Film Foundation, or GFF, has arrived in the Hollywood of the South, further cementing Atlanta, GA– foundation headquarters – and the surrounding state, as the entertainment capital of the Southeast.

The Savannah Regional Film Commission reported that in 2021 the entertainment production industry had a direct economic impact of nearly $114 million. Eighty eight professional productions were shot in the Savannah region in 2021.

Film Augusta has long seen the value in GFA having a presence and investment in Augusta. Through strategic planning with Augusta Tech’s President Dr. Jermaine Whirl, this partnership has become a reality. In June, FILM Augusta led a planning meeting with GFA, Augusta Tech, and IndieGrip to imagine a future partnership.

We had two great finalists for Best in Georgia 2022, with Tread Lightly barely squeaking out a win over Spirit. The winners receive professional services from Vicarious PR, Business Law Partners, Stites & Harbison, and IndieGameBusiness.

As a result of the success of Georgia’s film industry and specifically the progress in Columbus, GA, the Columbus Film Commission will host it’s next quarterly meeting on April 13th. These events connect entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses.

When Meredith Riley Stewart had the opportunity to produce the independent film “The Inheritance”, she was convinced that Columbus would make the perfect setting. As a Phenix City native, she knew the picturesque city on the banks of the Chattahoochee very well.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has published updated content security best practices for remote workers in the film and television industry in Version 4.10 of the MPA Common Guidelines. The latest update covers 37 new best practices and guidelines, which include management, physical, and digital controls for post-production remote workers.

VFX house Crafty Apes recently purchased Molecule VFX, an established visual effects company based in NYC and Los Angeles. The deal more than doubles the VFX house’s headcount and adds to its roster of talent, including creative VFX supervision and production management.

The Prysm Stage at Trilith Studios is being built from the ground up for virtual production, led by world-class talent including entertainment industry veteran and Global President of NEP Virtual Studios, Cliff Plumer, virtual production pioneers Lux Machina Consulting (LuxMC), Trilith Studios President and CEO Frank Patterson, and Trilith Studios Director of Creative Technologies, Barry Williams.

The South Georgia Film Festival is back for its sixth year at Valdosta State University. The annual event has become a hub for filming in Southwest Georgia and includes major films, religious movies, and documentaries.

Channing Tatum took a tour of Fort Benning on Friday, stopping by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit to watch a shotgun demonstration and fire off a few rounds himself.

Nearly seven years after first setting foot on the Columbus State University campus, Dr. Chris Markwood has announced his plans to retire from public higher education and step down from his role as president in June 2022.

Robert Pattinson’s new career chapter as the Caped Crusader is off to a roaring start as The Batman opened domestically with $128.5 million, scoring as the pandemic period’s second-biggest bow.

OPTIK Studios is defining the future of visual experiences with a brand-new versatile, production-ready extended reality (xR) facility. Located in Norcross, Georgia, the LED virtual production studio is bringing infinite possibilities to businesses and production companies in and around Georgia.

This beautiful, walkable city is home to the largest historic district in the United States, with 22 historic squares, quaint brick streets, and well-preserved architectural treasures, which give this popular film shoot destination much of the charm that lures major productions year after year.

2021 was a strong year for film in Augusta and the surrounding area. Beginning with “Getaway Driver” for the Discovery Channel, followed by action thriller “Agent Game,” then “Applewood” and finishing with “The Hill” in December many local jobs were supported and film spending contributed to the local economy.

Ransomware continues to dominate as one of the fastest-growing threats on security lists, with frequency doubling in 2021. The landscape has changed quickly and drastically. Prior to 2018 if an organization did not manage personally identifiable information, there was really no need for them to have sophisticated security programs in place.