Much has been written about Georgia’s wildly successful courtship of the film industry, and now we’re seeing that relationship blossom as Georgia makes its mark on an international scale.
From the 2016 FilmL.A. study
According to a new study from FilmL.A., Georgia ranked first in the world in 2016 for feature film production, with 17 full length films released theatrically. That number is one ahead of second place Great Britain, and five ahead of California, who had 12 films hit theaters last year. Those 17 films had a total budget value of over $950 million, with half of that money being spent on location in the Peach State.
Despite Georgia’s ability to attract filmmakers, California still remains king of the castle in terms of direct spending. Its $30 billion in annual film production is more than its next five closest competitors combined.
It is of course Georgia’s generous tax incentives that have drawn the film industry to the state in such large numbers. The state gave up $606 million in tax dollars in 2016, a massive number but one that feels much more palatable considering the $2.02 billion spent by the TV and film industries combined over that same period, not to mention the taxes they did pay combined with all the peripheral industries that have grown alongside TV and film. The total economic impact of the industry for 2016 is estimated at an astonishing $7 billion.
While Governor Nathan Deal will leave office next year with a long list of accomplishments to his name, turning Georgia into one of the world’s premiere television and movie destinations may be at the top of the list. There has been perhaps no greater triumph of Conservatism in America over the past decade than the state’s use of tax credits to draw a multi-billion industry into the state where it previously did not exist.
