‘Year of Georgia Film’ to shine lights on tourism-boosting industry

Tourism is undoubtedly big business in Georgia, with the sector generating an economic impact of $59 billion.

For Columbus, its slice of that pie in 2016 was $340 million, that impact generated by 1.8 million visitors to the city. They shopped, they ate, they played and they dropped their heads into the beds of local hotels to generate that cash.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, at a recent Tourism, Hospitality & Arts Day at the state Capitol building, played up the importance of an industry that has created nearly 440,000 jobs statewide. The sector comprises more than 10 percent of the Peach State’s total workforce. He called tourism a major economic driver.

“Following last year’s ‘Year of Georgia Music’ theme, this year we are celebrating the ‘Year of Georgia Film,’ as Georgia is now the third-busiest hub for film production in the country,” the governor said. “The impact of tourism benefits both the state as a whole and local communities, and we are proud of all Georgia has to offer to visitors from around the world.”

(Under pressure: Columbus looking for ways to boost leisure travel)

(Movie industry’s bright lights beginning to shine on Columbus area and CSU)

(Fun Academy aims to make Columbus an animated film production magnet)

(Film producer Richard Lanni has major-league plans for Columbus)

This year’s Georgia tourism guide punctuates the growing presence that TV and movie productions have across the state, including in Columbus. The guide’s cover features actor Ian Somerhalder of “The Vampire Diaries,” which is shot in Georgia. He talks about why Hollywood types find that “Georgia is to die for.” AMC Network’s highly popular series “The Walking Dead” — which has graced the state cover before — is also filmed in the state.

Kevin Langston, deputy tourism commissioner at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, has noted that the state has become one of the hottest film production areas on the planet. Even after production of a project is completed and a TV series or movie winds down, there are people traveling to the state to check out the filming locations.

“Visitors come from all over the world to follow in the footsteps of their favorite movie and TV personalities,” he said. “Throughout the ‘Year of Georgia Film,’ we will unveil a number of fun and exciting new ways to experience these locations scattered all over Georgia. Our movie fans are going to love it!”

The momentum and focus on the film industry comes with Columbus having served as locations for movie productions. Those have included John Wayne’s “The Green Berets” and Mel Gibson’s “They Were Soldiers,” and more recently, “Need for Speed,” the latter admittedly not a classic. Last summer, there also were crews shooting a suspense drama movie called “Moon Shine Still” in Harris County, just north of Columbus.

The kicker in the Harris County production is that students from Columbus State University’s film production certificate program were part of those crews, working to gain valuable experience on their way to careers in the industry. That effort is part of a Georgia Film Academy partnership that has been put together to nurture a Hollywood-style production and educational presence locally, with the players including CSU, the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Springer Opera House and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

The emphasis statewide in 2017 also comes with Fun Academy Motion Pictures opening an office in downtown Columbus, with founder and director Richard Lanni looking to spark major-league interest in animated film production locally. The goal is to attract high-tech companies to the city and create high-paying, long-lasting jobs. Fun Academy itself is working on an animated film, “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero,” which is scheduled for release in 2018.

State leaders have said the “Year of Georgia Film” will highlight the state’s colorful film and television production history and the communities that have served as backdrops in that four-decade run under the bright lights. It also will feature tourist destinations and activities connected to the making of films in the state. The effort will be bundled up in promotions that include social media, advertising, special events and the state’s official site, ExploreGeorgia.org.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 5:28 PM with the headline "‘Year of Georgia Film’ to shine lights on tourism-boosting industry."