Courtesy Moviemaker: This beautiful, walkable city is home to the largest historic district in the United States, with 22 historic squares, quaint brick streets, and well-preserved architectural treasures, which give this popular film shoot destination much of the charm that lures major productions year after year.
As of mid-December, Savannah saw $113.1 million in direct spending on productions in 2021. Tyler Perry’s upcoming drama A Jazzman’s Blues shot in Savannah, as did actor Gerard Butler’s next action thriller, Chase. On top of Georgia’s very welcoming 30 percent base tax credit, Savannah offers an additional 10 percent local rebate for productions, and also offers a workforce relocation incentive. Georgia, in general, has become a production powerhouse, which is one of the reasons Savannah moved up two spots in our ranking since last year. Opportunities in the film and television business are abundant. The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced last summer that it saw a record $4 billion in direct spending on productions in the state during the 2021 fiscal year, compared to $2.9 billion direct spend in 2019. During that time period, 366 productions filmed in the state, which both Disney and Warner Bros. have been taking full advantage of.
Beth Nelson, the executive director and Film Commissioner of the Savannah Regional Film Commission, tells MovieMaker, “After the industry-wide shut down due to the COVID pandemic, we are looking forward to resuming production and landing projects that scouted here last year. We bounced back to pre-pandemic levels of production and are busier than ever. We anticipate a prosperous year for our local crew and film vendors, and high economic growth for our region.” Additionally, the Savannah Regional Film Commission is proud to have been named 2021 Outstanding Film Commission by the Location Managers Guild International for their collaboration with director Barry Jenkins on his Amazon series The Underground Railroad, which was shot in Savannah prior to the pandemic.
