Atlanta, Nov 2 — Georgia is pitching its production incentives and studio facilities to Indian filmmakers, with organisers of an Atlanta film festival seeking to turn cultural ties into opportunities to shoot movies in the US state.
The Atlanta Indian Film Festival recently completed its eighth edition, S.K. Raj, a chamber of commerce board member and former president and chairman, said in an exclusive interview to IANS. Bringing Indian filmmakers to Georgia was a central aim of the event, he said.
"So we actually started the Atlanta Indian Film Festival about eight years back, and we just concluded our eighth festival."
Raj described the festival as part of a broader effort to introduce Indian businesses and creative professionals to Georgia. For filmmakers, his pitch focused on production facilities and financial incentives that he said could help make the state an attractive location.
He said Georgia began offering incentives years ago to attract film and other media production. Those benefits, he said, could extend beyond feature films to other forms of content, including advertising.
Raj described a minimum spending threshold of $500,000 and said expenditure could be spread across more than one project. He put the potential benefit at up to 30 per cent.
Raj said Georgia's peach logo, which appears in the closing credits of some productions, had helped draw attention to the state's role in filmmaking. He cited Marvel films and 'The Hunger Games' while discussing productions associated with Georgia.
His pitch also drew on the presence of studio facilities and an established production industry. He argued that filmmakers considering the state should look at the services available before shooting as well as the filming itself.
But he acknowledged that Georgia did not have the same depth of experience as Los Angeles in every part of the business.
"So Georgia is very strong in pre-production."
Raj said Los Angeles retained an advantage in post-production because its industry had been established for much longer. He described Georgia's capabilities in that area as developing.
The film outreach runs alongside efforts to attract Indian manufacturers and other investors. Raj said chamber volunteers had built relationships with Georgia economic development officials, small business advisers, the Governor's office and legislators to help businesses establish operations.
Georgia, in the south-eastern United States, has developed a substantial film and television production industry. Its capital, Atlanta, is a major transport and business centre.
Film production involves a network of services beyond studios, including location management, equipment hire, set construction, transport and accommodation.