Georgia’s Production Sector Shifts Gears Targeting Local Creators and Production Innovation

By: Carole Horst

Innovation drives the Georgia production sector — it’s adapting in the face of a production decline and increased competition from Europe.

“Studios are really looking inward. They’re incorporating more vertical integration. They’re doing partnerships and acquisitions,” says Jezlan Moyet, president of Georgia Entertainment. “They’re making sure that not only do they have the infrastructure, but also the resources to continue to have competitive bids and world-class ecosystems.”

Georgia’s incentives remain reliable: a 20% base transferable tax credit, with an additional 10% uplift for adding an animated or static Georgia promotional logo, according to the Georgia Film Office. It’s uncapped, and regional incentives and rebates also figure into the mix. “We’ve added a great film tax incentive for post-production,” Moyet says: As of Jan. 1, Georgia post-production companies spending at least $500,000 on qualified expenditures in the state can receive a 20% credit, with an additional 10% credit for projects shot in Georgia and another 5% credit for expenditures incurred in qualifying rural counties.

And on top of that, this past fall, the ceiling for returns was capped at 12 months. “They heard the challenges that existed in their audit systems, so they made active changes to simplify and expedite the process,” Moyet says.

Read at Variety