By Carol Badaracco Padgett
Kiah Clingman moved to Atlanta in 2016, straight out of college and into the big-time filmmaking boom. She brought along a serious determination that has helped her weather the cyclical nature of the filmmaking industry.
Even as many large film projects chose to shoot overseas in recent years, Clingman remained upbeat. If anything, the industry sluggishness has strengthened her resolve.
“For me, it’s an easier pill to swallow because I am truly an indie filmmaker,” she says. “When [many]big studio movies moved outside of Georgia—something that was actually happening in the entire U.S.—it empowered those of us in the indie spectrum.”
She adds, “We made ‘Color Book’ [a film she describes as a love letter to Atlanta, which premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival in April 2025]for a little over a million dollars. There’s this very sweet spot under $5 million, where there are people in Georgia who are absolutely willing to invest in filmmakers who have great ideas [and smaller budgets]. They can do $2-$3 million and take advantage of our tax credits and make a great movie that is filmed in Georgia, using Georgia landscapes and Georgia talent … I’m personally interested in those stories rooted in the South, and so I see it as an opportunity.”
Here’s more about Clingman’s creative journey—which includes a recent guest-starring role in Georgia-produced Hulu series “Reasonable Doubt.”
Read more at Funwoody.com
