Features

On Sept. 23, Georgia Entertainment and Universal Production Services, with Discover Dunwoody, presented the inaugural Indie Spotlight inside The Jewel Box at Assembly Studios. The evening brought together independent filmmakers, studio leadership and industry partners for a program focused on the creators driving Georgia's independent work. 

Created in Columbus honors the creatives making their living in the region — artists, filmmakers, musicians, performers, writers and independent producers — alongside the local businesses and professionals whose work makes their creative output possible. The evening will also serve as a recruiting moment, amplifying Columbus to decision-makers across Georgia and beyond who are looking for unique locations, capable partners and communities investing seriously in their creative sectors.

Developed as a thesis project through the SCAD MFA program in Savannah and made with a Georgia-based cast and crew that grew to 83 people, anchored by an almost entirely female senior producing team, the film recreates a chapter of World War II aviation history with vintage aircraft drawn from Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight collection.

When one of the most-watched creators in the world builds his fashion brand in Georgia, and launches it during the most iconic industry events, that's a signal. Atlanta has established its signature style as the place where creative expertise, business infrastructure, and cultural credibility increasingly show up in the same room.

The discussion follows President Donald Trump’s August 31 call for Congress to develop a federal production incentive, which the Motion Picture Association subsequently endorsed as a way to increase U.S. competitiveness and production activity across the country.

The online community is now in soft launch, giving many of those relationships and conversations another place to continue between the stories we publish and the events we produce. It allows us to create more intimate conversations and curated experiences for people across Georgia's creative and innovation economy to find one another.

I am going to suggest that Republicans and Democrats get together, and immediately craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America. Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America. It can be done quickly, accurately, efficiently and, importantly, will benefit ALL of America.

Look across Georgia's economy today and creativity is everywhere. It is changing agriculture and banking. It is reshaping healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, tourism, education and real estate. Technology has accelerated that transformation, giving people extraordinary new tools to turn ideas into companies, products, experiences and entirely new ways of doing business.

From Story to Scale arrives at a defining moment for the 2026 festival, the launch of TIFF: The Market, a new global content marketplace. The invite-only events will be hosted on the rooftop at Earls King St. West in Toronto, blending Southern hospitality with international influence Programming includes a panel discussion with industry experts followed by an exclusive networking reception, with guests including creators, directors, producers, film commissioners and financiers.

What a first-of-its-kind film festival for a national firm revealed about company culture, local identity and why creativity deserves a seat at the business table. Storytelling is not limited to entertainment. Creativity is not limited to people with creative titles. Both are essential to how organizations build trust, attract talent, strengthen culture and shape reputation.