By IAG Staff –
Gov. Nathan Deal and First Lady Sandra Deal visited Los Angles last Thursday for a well-attended “Georgia Film Night in California” that drew film industry movers-and-shakers as well as notables such as Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and state Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr. The governor assured attendees, according to InsiderAdvantage sources who were present, that the state’s generous film industry tax incentives “aren’t going away” and he noted more film productions are happening in the Peach State.
The annual California event is designed to showcase Georgia as the best place in the country for movie and television productions. In fact, the Department of Economic Development reports that such productions generated $5.1 billion in economic impact, making Georgia one of the top three production centers in the nation.
All of this economic growth is largely driven by the state’s tax incentive to the entertainment industry. Georgia provides a 20 percent tax credit for productions that spend $500,000 or more in production or post-production in the state. Entertainment companies can also receive an additional 10 percent in tax credits by featuring Georgia’s promotional logo in their credits.
The net result of this incentive is jobs and an increase in infrastructure being built to accommodate all of the productions wanting to work here. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the movie and television industry is responsible for more than 77,900 jobs and $3.8 billion in total wages in Georgia, including indirect jobs and wages. In the past several years major companies like Pinewood Studios, Atlanta Metro Studios and Screen Gems have built studios in the metro Atlanta area. And the demand for studio space in Atlanta is still growing.