AS FILM FESTIVAL SEASON HEATS UP, GEORGIA CONTINUES TO LURE DOLLARS, CREATE STARS

Events help solidify state as a top locale for film productions | 07/07/2010

ATLANTA, July 7, 2010 – For decades, Georgia has celebrated and embraced local films and talent by hosting a variety of film festivals throughout the state. Today, at least 20 festivals bring together and celebrate homegrown creativity, culture and communities. Film festivals are an effective place for local filmmakers and films to gain exposure, critical buzz and distribution. They also attract visitors from all over the world ? which economically benefits local communities and businesses.

While Georgia film festivals take place throughout the year, most occur between June through October – which is why everyone involved is gearing up in anticipation of another busy and rewarding season. Not only are film festivals taking place during this prime time but film festivals throughout the state are calling for entries. Filmmakers from across the state and the nation can submit entries to participate in this fall/winter or 2011 festivals. In addition, the entire month of August in Atlanta has been declared by Festival League as Independent Film Month. A variety of film festivals and events including Atlanta Shortsfest, Atlanta Horror Film Festival, Peachtree Village International Film Festival and Atlanta Underground Film Festival will take place in Atlanta to celebrate independent films.

“Our film festivals have the power to expose new film makers to new audiences and alternatively expose community audiences to new cultures, projects and art,” said Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of the Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “The abundance of film festivals throughout Georgia not only showcases the rich talent, creativity and innovation we have in our state, but it also helps to build a strong, sustainable film industry. In Georgia, film festivals not only bring stars, they also make stars”.

Georgia is the proud home of the largest and longest running festival in the Southeast, the Atlanta Film Festival. The Festival held in Atlanta receives more than 1,800 submissions from all over the world and is the most distinguished event in its class. Every year, over the span of 10 days, more than 25,000 people view 150 films, learn about the art of filmmaking from visiting industry experts during festival panels and attend networking events. From noon until midnight each day, at least three films screen simultaneously featuring a wide range of styles, subjects and perspectives. The Atlanta Film Festival is one of only 24 Academy Award qualifying festivals in the U.S.

In addition to the renowned Atlanta Film Festival, Georgia encourages the support and investment in film festivals throughout the state. From the Savannah Film & Video Festival in Savannah to the Macon Film Festival in Macon to the Rome International Film Festival in Rome to the AthFest Music, Arts, Kids Film Festival in Athens, each event contributes significantly to the local and state economies. In fact, the Macon Film Festival hosts nearly 70 filmmakers at the annual event and has an economic impact of $141,250. Also, according to Americans for the Arts’ Arts and Economic Prosperity Calculator, the overall economic impact of the Rome International Film Festival in Rome was $90,300 – equivalent to 2.6 full time jobs at a household income of approximately $46,967.

“The Rome International Film Festival encourages visitors from all over the world and hosts a wide variety of films from all countries,” said Harry Musselwhite, executive director of the Rome International Film Festival. “Our film festival takes place at Georgia’s first ‘talkie theater,’ the DeSoto in downtown Rome and has been called one of the finest film festivals in the Southeastern U.S.”

Through hosting and investing in local film festivals, Georgia has supported the growth of its local filmmakers, directors and actors. Events such as the Atlanta 48 Hour Film Project in Atlanta and the Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival in downtown Athens draw stars, critics, movie goers and students alike. Hosted by Robert Osborne, the festival boasted such guests as Academy Award winning producers of “The Godfather Part 2,” Fred Roos and Gray Frederickson, as well as Leon Vitali, Stanley Kubrick’s close associate and Patterson Hood from The Drive By Truckers. The 2010 Festival sold more than 38,000 tickets to people from across the country.

Georgia has emerged among the top five states in the U.S. for film production over the past few years and its many film festivals are a major reason for that recognition. In fact, there were productions in 50 counties in Georgia in 2009. Estimated to employ 25,000 Georgians, the state has a strong, talented workforce in all sectors of the entertainment industry and boasts one of the deepest and most experienced crew bases in the country. In addition to talent, Georgia offers an abundance of landscapes to fit almost any production including Georgia’s beautiful mountains, coastal beaches and islands, small towns, a major metropolitan city and many more attributes which make the state an ideal location for independent filmmakers.

For a list of film festivals in Georgia please see the list below. To learn more about Georgia’s entertainment industry please visit www.georgia.org.

About Georgia’s Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Division
The Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Division conducts extensive business development, sales, marketing and promotional activities in order to attract entertainment projects and businesses to the state. The division’s team also assists the local, national and international entertainment industries with information, expertise and resources. It is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), the sales and marketing arm of the State of Georgia. For more information, please visit www.georgia.org/fmde.

SIDEBAR
Film festivals in Georgia include: AthFest Music, Arts, Kids Film Festival (June 22 – June 26, 2011, Athens, Ga.) Atlanta 48 Hour Film Project (June 2011, Atlanta, Ga.) Atlanta Asian Film Festival (Oct. 8-23, 2010, Doraville, Ga.) Atlanta Film Festival (2011 dates TBD, Atlanta, Ga.) Atlanta Horror Film Festival (Aug, 13-16, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (Feb. 8-27, 2011, Atlanta, Ga.) Atlanta Shortsfest (Aug. 6-8, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Atlanta Underground Film Festival (Aug. 27-29, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Atlanta’s Campus MovieFest (2011 dates TBD, Atlanta, Ga.) BronzeLens Film Festival (November 11-14, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Coca Cola Film Festival at the Fox (July 30 – Aug. 10, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Dixie Film Festival (Sept. 27 – Oct. 3, 2010, Athens, Ga.) Dragon*Con Independent Film (Sept. 3-6, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Kingdomwood Film Festival (Oct. 1-3, 2010, Lithonia, Ga.) Macon Film Festival (Feb. 17– 20, 2011 Macon, Ga.) Out on Film (Oct. 1-7, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Peachtree Village International Film Festival (Aug. 19-22, 2010, Atlanta, Ga.) Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival (2011 dates TBD, Athens, Ga.) Rome International Film Festival (Sept. 10-11, 2010, Rome, Ga.) Savannah Film & Video Festival (Oct. 30 – Nov. 6, 2010, Savannah, Ga.)

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CONTACT:

Communications Specialist, Georgia Department of Economic Development