Commentary by Randy Davidson, CEO & Founder of Georgia Entertainment
Last week, we had the opportunity to attend one of Entertainment Tourism Alliance of Georgia’s (ETAG) town hall meetings. The event was held at the Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega and is one of six town halls the organization is hosting all over the state. The town halls lead up to ETAG’s special year end meeting in December where the aggregated data will be shared with statewide tourism officials, elected leaders and entertainment executives. (ETAG’s Town Halls.)
At this event, regional leaders from Forsyth County, Hall County, Lumpkin County and elsewhere discussed opportunities to collaborate and support local creative businesses while promoting their local communities to entertainment and production companies around the world.
ETAG’s events could not be more timely. Last month at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference, Governor Kemp announced another record year with nearly $80 billion in economic impact. ETAG’s mission is to educate, advocate and promote tourism and economic development associated with the entertainment industry in Georgia. I’m looking forward to hearing the findings and results later this year.
On our way to Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega, we noticed signs pointing to a film production underway. As it turned out, Tyler Perry’s Netflix project “R&B” had taken over the winery, with the production in full swing. Catering, BI Production Works trucks, security, lighting, cabling—everything was in place for a major shoot, all while the ETAG town hall was happening.
“R&B” is Tyler Perry’s modern retelling of the iconic bible love story – Ruth and Boaz. The film is being directed by Alanna Brown and written by Michael Elliot and Cory Tynan. DeVon Franklin, Angi Bones, Tony Strickland and Chad Tennies are listed as producers alongside Perry. DeVon Franklin is an executive producer. (Netflix)
North Georgia is a treasure trove of locations for filmmakers. Despite an overall decline in production worldwide in 2024, I remain optimistic. On location shoots have been active in this Georgia region. Hall County has been busy and others have told us of increasing inquiries for upcoming projects in Catoosa, Bartow and Franklin.
The synopsis of “R&B” explains why Tyler Perry selected Montaluce Winery. After Ruth’s decision to walk away from a potential record deal leads to a tragic act of revenge, she feels called to join her late boyfriend’s mother Naomi, as they both leave Atlanta for a small town in Tennessee to start over from scratch. The only job she can find involves laboring at a local vineyard. (Production Weekly)
Serayah (“Empire,” “Kingdom of Business”), Tyler Lepley (“Harlem,” “P-Valley”) and Phylicia Rashad (“The Gilded Age,” “The Beekeeper”) are set to lead the ensemble cast of “R&B.” (THR)
Every production has the opportunity to drive longterm economic impact for a community. (“Walking Dead,” “Forest Gump,” “Vampire Diaries”) Let’s hope for similar tourism magic for Lumpkin County and Montaluce Winery.
