Carol Badaracco Padgett, Senior Editor
The Masters Golf Tournament. It naturally comes to mind when you think of Augusta, the second largest city in Georgia.
But that’s only part of the story. Augusta is a thriving film and entertainment town too—home to actors Laurence Fishburne, Lenny Von Dohlen, Khary Payton (TWD’s King Ezekiel) and Danielle Panabaker (HBO’s Empire Falls and Disney’s Stuck in the Suburbs), professional wrestler and entertainer Hulk Hogan and many others.
The river city spawns music artists, as well, such as opera singer Jessye Norman, country artists Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, and Amy Grant.
But there’s a whole lot more to Augusta in 2023, where the professional film and entertainment industry is helping Georgia attain its title of global entertainment capital, permeating Augusta and every corner of the state.
Fittingly, Georgia Entertainment’s fourth stop on the Georgia Unscripted roadshow will leave a pleasing divot on August 30, 2023. The first-ever Georgia Entertainment 100 and Georgia Unscripted event, in partnership with Film Augusta, will take place on the rooftop at the city’s Hyatt House. (Always a star of the roadshow: food. The cuisine in Augusta is courtesy of Fat Man’s Mill Café and Catering, a local film production go-to.)
Film Augusta helps filmmakers register with the city and eases the production process with support and services that include low-cost locations that don’t require permits, making it a tight fit with the mission and thrust of Georgia Unscripted.
Productions lensed in the city include films The Suicide Squad, The Mule, Agent Game, Six Pack and Saving Zoe, according to IMDb. In addition, new film Five Star Murder was shot at Augusta’s Partridge Inn, an upscale hotel in a renovated 1836 mansion, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection.
Film The Hill, starring Dennis Quaid, Joelle Carter, Colin Ford, and featuring Georgia-based actress Mila Harris, was shot in Augusta and premieres in theaters nationwide on Aug. 25, 2023. A screening is set for Aug. 23 at Augusta’s historic Miller Theater, with an appearance by director Jeff Celentano. The film’s producer, Warren Ostergard, will be a featured speaker at Augusta’s Georgia Unscripted, as well.
Aside from astounding Southern locations, a major driver of Augusta’s place in film and entertainment is Augusta University’s affiliation with the Georgia Film Academy (GFA), as well as that of Augusta Technical College. As partner institutions with GFA, both are part of a statewide collaboration of institutions like the Technical College System of Georgia, the University System of Georgia and other independent institutions, which make up the Georgia Film Consortium.
As a Consortium member, Augusta U offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital and Visual Storytelling, which began in fall 2022.
In short, Augusta plays a primary role in training the next generation of working entertainment industry professionals for film, TV, digital entertainment, game development and esports.
Gaming consumers find the city a fit for their interests, as well, where a local esports league known as Gnome Gamers more than doubled in size its first year—from 24 gamers to 55 and still growing, according to Augusta’s WRDW-TV, owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television.
Music production is driving the creative economic engine in Augusta, as well, with some 20 recording studios calling the area home, including Pulse Recording Studio, Green Light Sound Studio and BottomLine Studios.
The city’s Sample Augusta LLC is a source for music and entertainment in Augusta’s River Region. The organization also gets the word out on all things culture and art.
Film festivals—including those with an indie flare (Augusta Indie Film Festival, for instance)—also make a mark on the city’s cinema scene, with Black Cat Picture Show holding its ninth festival this month at Le Chat Noir in downtown Augusta.
An interesting and prime show of Augusta’s might on the digital technology forefront is its offerings in national cybersecurity. At Fort Gordon, Georgia, a few minutes’ drive from Augusta and less than 140 miles from Atlanta, is the United States Army Cyber Command and Cyber Center of Excellence, where cyberspace operations and electronic warfare efforts, development and training converge.
In Georgia Unscripted roadshow’s fourth stop in Augusta, a sought-after collection of creative visionaries, business executives, talent, educators, government officials and elected leaders will enlighten attendees on Georgia’s creative economy, its continued opportunities and growth strategies.
RSVP to save your spot in Augusta.
