Decatur WatchFest ‘26 today announced the launch of its Volunteer Program, designed to support a series of events scheduled to celebrate all things FIFA World Cup ‘26™. 350 volunteers will be selected and trained to support concerts and other activities, and to be ambassadors for the City.
In her new role, Spaulding will oversee event production and development initiatives across Georgia Entertainment’s channels, helping shape the next phase of the organization’s strategic growth. Already instrumental to Georgia Entertainment’s events, she will expand her leadership as live experiences become a central part of the company’s offerings.
Today the Sundance Film Festival announces the 2027 edition will make its Boulder, Colorado debut on January 21–31, 2027. This will be the first time the Festival will welcome global audiences to its new location.
This June 5th and 6th, the city of McDonough is hosting the inaugural McDonough Storytellers Film Festival (MSFF) in multiple locations in the charming and historic McDonough town square, approximately 30 miles South of Atlanta.
Production in Georgia continues to draw top-tier cast and crew, who share why the state remains a premier destination for filmmaking. This behind-the-scenes look at ABC’s hit show, Will Trent, highlights filming across Georgia, with Gwinnett County serving as one of the main production locations.
The move to Assembly Studios marks a significant step in INTENNSE’s continued expansion as the league builds toward its full 2026 campaign—introducing more teams, deeper fan experiences, and a larger live audience footprint.
Each time a storm clears in Georgia, certain areas of economic impact are assessed.
Lisa Anders, COO of Explore Gwinnett, shares her journey in the tourism and film industry. She speaks to Explore Gwinnett’s dual mission of driving film production business to Gwinnett County and supporting the local creative economy.
The Columbus Film Office has announced an extension of the application submission deadline for its Local Filmmaker Grant Program to March 31, 2026. The extension comes in response to overwhelming interest generated at last week’s Columbus Creator’s Mixer.
The mixer marked a public launch of the film office’s broadened scope, which now encompasses gaming, music, podcasting and digital content creation alongside traditional film.
Vaughn is widely known for her roles in Meet the Browns, the hit sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and Tyler Perry’s Miss Governor, which Vaughn wrote, produced, directs and stars in filmed in Georgia streams on Netflix.
In a world where traditional media once ruled, a new wave of digital creators is flipping the script, and it all started with video game play. Gaming culture isn’t just about entertainment; it’s a launchpad for a brand-new kind of economy.
Some good news: the post-Presidents’ Day weekend in U.S./Canada wasn’t that slow with all films grossing just over $79M, +2% from a year ago. The 2026 year to date B.O. stands at $1.05 billion, still ahead of 2025 by 7% per industry estimates.
Georgia Entertainment attended the 26th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) Opening Night on February 18, 2026, at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center in Sandy Springs, Georgia, where a sea of community united to celebrate the festival’s kickoff.
Beyond nationalism, the Olympics are also a community-building machine for fandom because they are best in class in creating female sports fandom.
The 13 additional projects bring the line up to 120 Features, including 90 World Premieres, 2 International Premiere, 5 North American Premieres, 6 U.S. Premieres, 16 Texas Premieres + 52 Short Films and 20 Music Videos.
Chad Tennies, CEO and founder of Resolve Media Group, shares an exciting shift in the company’s direction. After 12 years of building intellectual property for others, Resolve Media Group is now turning the lens on itself, developing its own stories for the world to see.
Five-time Olympic medalist, the most decorated Black winter Olympian and mother Elana Meyers Taylor grew up in Douglasville, Georgia. This week, she won her first gold medal at the age of 41.
According to reports from the Georgia Department of Economic Development in downtown Atlanta, here are three basic reasons fintech companies choose Georgia as a home base.
The Atlanta Opera will celebrate the groundbreaking of the Molly Blank Center for Opera and the Arts on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 4pm with a ceremonial event bringing together civic, cultural, and community leaders, marking a major milestone in the company’s continued growth and investment in the city of Atlanta.
When you’re filming on location in Georgia, as many productions have this year and last, you get it. The state’s locations, crew, infrastructure, and Southern hospitality are unbeatable.
Sony Pictures’ Karate Kid: Legends brought an all-star production to Atlanta, Georgia, with cast members and crew reflecting on why the city continues to be a go-to destination for world-class filmmaking.
By championing a homegrown film industry, Cody Chesneau is proving that Georgia doesn’t need to wait on outside companies to tell its own stories. As CEO of Film Quality Services based in Flowery Branch, Georgia, Chesneau believes that the talent, crews and infrastructure to create world-class content already exist right here in Georgia.
The Music Education Group, Inc. (MEG) proudly announces the 4th Annual Music Technology Summit, taking place Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at SAE Institute Atlanta.
The debate is over: film, entertainment and the broader creative industries are essential drivers of economic growth. Those of us in the industry know it, and most policymakers do too. The evidence is everywhere.
Warner Bros is calling the global opening of Wuthering Heights at $82M, that’s $42M international and $40M domestic.
Andy Browne played his first gig with his band The Nightporters – a local group that lit up Atlanta’s punk scene in the 1980s – when he was 14 years old. Now, roughly 40 years later, he’s exploring something a little softer.
With busy cities, significant industrial history, and a blend of cultures, it’s easy to see why Georgia has what it takes to be a hotspot for genius.
Presented by Ghost Gaming and Ghost Launchpad in partnership with Shine A Light Gaming and Georgia Humanities, the event will feature a panel discussion, hands-on game development workshops, and a 48-hour Game Jam centered on the theme Build Together.
“I was really excited to be appointed to the tourism study committee,” Halpern said. “To know that we can do more to attract more people to our state so they can enjoy all the things that those of us who live here every day know about us.”
Ryan Johnson, founder and CEO of Cxmmunity Media, has launched The Kickback’s 2026 tour. The announcement comes on the heels of Johnson being named co-recipient of Georgia’s 2026 Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year award alongside co-founder Chris Peay at Georgia Entertainment’s Signature 100 event at Trilith LIVE.
It is time again for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. This year’s competition includes a category for Film Festivals, and the Atlanta Film Festival is in the running.
The Columbus Creators Mixer on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. at The Loft in Columbus will provide information on “How to Become a Storyteller” and “The Economics of Storytelling,” which will include creators across all disciplines, providing education on storytelling fundamentals and helping participants understand what resources are locally available to them.
Stephanie Baur has built a career ensuring action sequences are both thrilling and safe, translating a director’s vision into choreography that performers and stunt teams can execute without risk
Despite changes in sports, society, economics and popular culture, the appeal of the annual professional golf tournament hasn’t faded, its economic impact has not waned, and its gorgeous grounds have consistently set the stage for some of the best moments in the sport each Masters season.
In this behind-the-scenes look from the Georgia Film Office, the Blue Beetle team discusses their first-time experience working in Atlanta and the incredible Georgia film crew.
Former NFL star Champ Bailey, now executive producer of “Signing Tony Raymond,” reflects on how football shaped his approach to teamwork and process.
If the housing market is down two percent from where it was a year ago one might worry that this could be a trend. With everything else going on in the world, we might expect to see a further decline in market value for housing in the state. But how accurate is this “Zestimate”?
Screenwriter La Monte Edwards has completed the screenplay for The Ambulance Chaser, the feature adaptation of Brian Cuban’s acclaimed legal thriller that is being developed by award-winning producer Autumn Bailey-Ford. The collaboration marks a fusion of authenticity, cultural depth, and character-driven storytelling.
The Spruill Center for the Arts announced on Feb. 9 its plans to open Spruill Studios, a new studio facility in the former Chamblee City Hall, focused on providing affordable creative space for artists in metro Atlanta.
The media merger leading into 2026 is a development that excites and inspires international entertainment executive Michael Fisk, and it’s one he’s actively developing as he stirs up a communal concoction of sports, cinema and live entertainment with all of it instantaneously available right in front of you on the big screen.
For Georgia this is far more than a sporting event. It is a defining moment, a chance to showcase who we are and what we stand for on the world stage. It is also a test of our readiness. The impressions visitors take home will shape how Georgia is viewed long after the final whistle blows.
The Opening Reception kicks off the film festival on Friday, February 27th, from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum and Conference Center.
Students at several Gwinnett-area schools are getting the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in every aspect of content creation as Illinois-based Fresh Films has returned to metro Atlanta with its “Lights, Camera, Future” program.
What can be as bad as a 2,000-mile snowstorm that shutters theaters? Why, Super Bowl weekend. And while it’s not the lowest weekend of the year, it came close.
John Hall and Don Mandrik of Hall Booth Smith introduce their firm’s expanding role in Georgia’s entertainment industry. With deep roots in Georgia and a national and international reach, the firm represents a wide range of clients across film, television, music, production, and financing.
By the time Walker reached his 20th year in the entertainment business in Los Angeles, he realized something: “I produced for a lot of other people, and I didn’t see myself having the brand that I wanted anymore.”
Each month we bring you a list of ongoing productions in Georgia. This information is provided by Georgia.org and reproduced by Georgia Entertainment to bring you the latest, verified, productions.
Georgia’s film tax credit isn’t just for Hollywood — it’s a powerful, underused edge for Atlanta brands and agencies.
Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens, Invest Atlanta President and CEO Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson, and Showcase Atlanta Interim Executive Director Lamar Stewart held a joint press conference on Feb. 3 to discuss how small businesses can benefit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Board of Directors announced today that, in a unanimous vote held on Monday, it elected Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro to become Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company.
Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns has announced that America’s first major national film festival exclusively for historical documentaries will launch March 4th-8th, in Savannah, GA.
Stephen Owen & Daniel Arita talk about CineFi, which has launched as the first fully digital credit union specifically serving entertainment industry professionals, including those in television, film, music, gaming, content creation, and influencer sectors, in Atlanta and nationwide.
The Georgia Department of Education is creating new fine arts pathways for high school students and advocating for an expansion of fine arts staffing at the elementary level along with the inclusion of AP, IB, and Cambridge fine arts courses for HOPE Rigor credit.
During Heart Month this February, Fortnite players around the world will step into a powerful, story-driven experience that blends gameplay, empathy and real-world impact. “Super Pet World,” a free-to-play Fortnite island developed by Ghost Gaming, is launching a limited-time side quest, “Side Quest: Heartbeat on the Wind,” created in support of Enduring Hearts, the only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to funding pediatric heart transplant research.
Georgia Entertainment has announced plans to hold its signature “From Story to Scale” event series during the SXSW conference and festivals to spotlight the state’s resources, infrastructure, world-class studio facilities and incentives.
Ken Merritt, CEO of Off the Rails Productions and renowned independent filmmaker, invites Georgia’s entertainment media to the premiere of his latest short film, The Filmmaker.
For decades, universities operated as default gateways: four years in, degree out, career to follow. That model assumed time, patience and a broadly shared belief that the credential itself justified the cost. That assumption is being questioned. More and more students and families are turning away from rigidity, time-to-value and debt without clarity.
Across sports, film, music, gaming, immersive entertainment and tourism, we are observing the same repeating pattern. Organizations that were built for one purpose are expanding into new, multipurpose arenas. Facilities designed for production are being reimagined as creator spaces. Stories once confined to a stage or a screen are becoming audience experiences.
With formats ranging from fireside chats and presentations to workshops and mentor sessions, the Innovation Conference is where deeper learning and discovery thrives. Keynotes and Featured Sessions are open to all attendees with Platinum, Innovation, Music, and Film & TV badges.
Here’s the skinny on a very unconventional weekend that included a right-wing documentary from a former tentpole Hollywood filmmaker (Amazon MGM Studios’ Brett Ratner-directed Melania in third with $7M) and an indie film from a YouTuber (Markiplier’s Iron Lung with $17.8M in No. 2), which will hopefully herald in a revolutionary era for social media influencers on the big screen.
The ceremony was attended by the jury and artists receiving honors, in advance of the final day of the Festival on February 1. The 2026 Festival has featured premieres, screenings, talks, events, and more in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, including programming that honored Robert Redford and his vision that has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema around the world.
As the flagship program of ATL Jewish Film, the 2026 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival presents 49 feature films and 16 short films from 20 countries, including newly announced distinctions such as the North American Premiere of Stay Forte and the Oscar-nominated short film The Butterfly.
Lithuania has banking charters, innovation hubs and clear public policy – here’s why it might be the perfect place for Georgia’s expanding international relationships.
The Woodruff Arts Center—home to the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and High Museum of Art—celebrated a transformative milestone: the grand opening of the all-new Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families and PNC PlaySpace, made possible through a successful $67 million capital campaign and years of visionary planning.
As the driving force behind Trilith’s development, Cathy shares his vision for 2026 as the year when all the pieces come together, from new hotels and restaurants to the grand opening of Trilith LIVE, positioning the community as a major player in Georgia’s booming entertainment economy.
It would be Atlanta’s third attempt at an NHL team, and the first since 2011.
Writer, director, and producer Aaron Strand sat down with Georgia Entertainment to discuss his micro-budget feature “Withdrawal,” a raw examination of addiction and codependency that follows a singer-songwriter and her rebellious boyfriend as they attempt to quit heroin cold turkey to avoid rehab. Shot entirely in Athens with a Georgia-based cast and crew, the film premiered to a sold-out crowd at the Atlanta Film Festival.
Commentary from Georgia Entertainment Editor in Chief, Jennifer Reynolds. “The media is no longer fueled by reporting the truth. Now, misrepresentation, political agendas and clickbait are the heartbeat of this industry.”
Introduction to Costume Design was developed by longtime costumer Hollis Smith, whose credits include WandaVision, The Walking Dead and Ms. Marvel. The course is taught by Mia Nunnally, whose work includes Ozark, Stranger Things and Captain America: Civil War.
The majority of the award-winning shorts can be viewed online nationwide January 29 to February 1 for audiences to experience from home.
On Jan. 4, 60 Minutes showcased “the future of the future” with advanced robotics at Hyundai’s Metaplant outside Savannah.
For nearly two hours, I talked. I bragged about Georgia’s state-of-the-art facilities. I touted its investment in training a skilled labor force—some of the best crews in the world. I celebrated the collaboration across the Department of Education and the University System of Georgia to develop curriculum pipelines from middle school through graduate programs that nurture the next generation of storytellers.
At the annual reception, the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize was awarded to In The Blink of An Eye from director Andrew Stanton and screenwriter Colby Day, which centers around the connection between science and human existence.
Now in its 14th year, the university’s flagship celebration of television and streaming brings together acclaimed creators, performers, and industry leaders with fans and students from SCAD’s top-ranked acting and film and television degree programs for screenings, premieres, conversations, and honors recognizing excellence across the evolving television landscape.
CineVantage will mentor the sound designers and composers throughout the program to deliver professional audio that elevates their branded spots to theatrical quality.
The panel focused on how the United States can continue to champion film production, strengthen local economies and protect U.S. jobs amid increasing global competition. The discussion highlighted the importance of federal, state and local film incentives, as well as the role that collaboration plays in keeping production thriving across the country.
Georgia Entertainment’s From Script to Screen delivered its strongest programming yet during what proved to be a bittersweet occasion: the final Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
SCAD screened 8 of the 10 official Best Picture nominees, demonstrating the festival’s unique role in bringing the year’s most acclaimed films to Savannah. The screened nominees included: Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, and Sinners.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) today announced honorees and programming for SCAD TVfest, taking place Feb. 4–6, 2026, in Midtown Atlanta’s SCADshow theater. The celebration brings together acclaimed creators, performers, and industry leaders with fans and students from SCAD’s top-ranked acting and film and television degree programs for screenings, premieres, conversations, and honors recognizing excellence across the evolving television landscape.
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece titled “Georgia’s Film Tax Incentive Bombs at the Box Office.” Others are addressing specific factual claims in that piece. What deserves equal attention, particularly for business and civic leaders, is how the article came together — and what it signals about the evolving relationship between institutions, media and access.
When a “writer and editor” from the Wall Street Journal reaches out and says he’s “working on a story,” most people reasonably assume they’re participating in reporting. That was the expectation across Georgia’s film and entertainment community. And it’s why access, time and candid conversations were offered almost comprehensively and in good faith.
Winners of the Sundance Institute | Amazon MGM Studios Producers Awards were announced, with two $10,000 grants — one for fiction and the other for nonfiction — awarded to producers Apoorva Guru Charan (Take Me Home) and Dawne Langford (Who Killed Alex Odeh?).
About 400 theaters have closed, which has sent the opening for Amazon MGM Studios‘ Chris Pratt movie to $11.2M, in addition to impacting other titles. Rivals might cry that for a $60M production, this isn’t the ideal start, but then again, they’re not Amazon which as a $2.55 trillion company has no stakes.
Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute celebrated the filmmakers selected for the 2026 Merata Mita Fellowship and the Graton Fellowship. The fellows were announced at the Sundance Film Festival’s Native Forum Celebration presented by Merrell during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Innovation economy expert David Sutherland weighs in on the state of Georgia’s dynamic and growing economy.
Reel Friends, an Atlanta-based production company focused on community-driven film experiences founded by Rocco Shapiro, is teaming up with BFF (formerly Bumble BFF) to present a special screening of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement on Tuesday, January 27 at the Tara Theatre.
Film professor Frank Hall Green and freshman Pilot Bunch join forces on ‘Run Amok’, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival Jan. 26.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup inches closer, counties across Georgia are gearing up for their own taste of the football frenzy.
Oscar®-nominated actor Danielle Brooks and actor Lewis Pullman announced the 98th Oscars® nominations today (Thursday, January 22, 2026), live from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills via a global livestream on Oscars.org, Oscar.com and the Academy’s digital platforms, ABC’s Good Morning America and ABC News Live, Disney+, Hulu, broadcast media and an international satellite feed.
The Kansas City, Missouri-native landed a position at Columbus State University as an assistant professor for film and production courses, as well as social media. Since moving to Columbus, Bova has found that there’s a lot of potential in the city for local filmmakers, especially due to the support of the Columbus Film Office.
Dunwoody is tapping into its global sensibilities to gear up for the 2026 World Cup, aiming to draw in a whole new crowd and getting creative with how they do it.
The Columbus Film Office is broadening its scope beyond traditional film production to embrace the full spectrum of creative industries, from gaming and music to podcasts and digital content creation.
Karl J. Rouse, associate dean of the School of Film and Acting at Savannah College of Art and Design, champions SCAD’s Atlanta campus as a hub for phenomenal industry projects and student opportunities.
Commentary from Georgia Entertainment President, Jezlan Moyet: The convergence of these worlds is unfolding everywhere. It’s this intersection that defines Georgia’s creative economy. From the court to the concert stage, creative direction itself has become an art form, one that reflects culture as much as it creates it.
On Jan. 16, 150 days out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Atlanta Host Committee held its monthly press conference. The virtual press conference provides journalists with updates on the city’s preparations ahead of the global soccer event taking place this summer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
James Cameron’s Na’Vi sent Sony’s Infected running away from the top spot at the box office as 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash pulled in $17.2M over the four-day fifth weekend while 28 Days Years Later: The Bone Temple came in below its $20M+ tracking projections with a studio-reported $15M (by the way no other studio sees it there).
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GAP) today announced the appointment of Pam Kaufman as Executive Vice President, Chief Entertainment Officer. In this newly created role, Kaufman will report to Gap Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard Dickson, starting February 2.
Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the fellows selected for the 2026 Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive programs, which foster creativity and bold risk-taking, empower emerging voices, and support the development and launch of their first and second features. Selected from over 3,800 submissions, the 11 Screenwriters Lab fellows will convene in a connected community to work under the guidance of esteemed advisors to develop their original scripts.
The 2026 event will present 45 innovative and pivotal companies, hand-selected by the SXSW Pitch advisory board out of 600 applications, within nine distinct categories to a panel of industry experts, including high-profile media professionals, venture capital investors and angel investors.