The Savannah Regional Film Commission announced that in 2019, the entertainment production industry generated $125.6 million in direct spend leading to a staggering $266.3 million economic impact for the region.
“The film and television production industry has continued to see solid growth and 2019 was no exception. Since 2015, the entertainment production direct spend has grown from $59 million to $125.6 million, resulting in a 112 percent increase in five years,” said Trip Tollison, President and CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority. “The state and local incentives, Savannah Regional Film Commission, local governments, partners and our community continue to entice productions to choose our region.”
Savannah Regional Film Commission Executive Director Beth Nelson said, “While we are pleased to report another successful year of growth from the entertainment production industry, it is important to note that these numbers represent the creation of jobs and direct spend to local businesses. Due to the caliber of our crew, diverse locations, and the support we receive from local partners, the Savannah region has become an active film production hub. From small independent projects to prestigious network TV series, Savannah has proven to be an ideal location for film and television production. We look forward to continued growth in the coming year.”
From 2010-2014 the entertainment production direct spend was a combined $58 million, 2015 – $59 million, 2016 – $61 million, $2017 – $65 million and in 2018 – $120.1 million.
In 2019, 129 professional productions and 56 student productions were filmed including Lady and the Tramp, The Underground Railroad, The Glorias, and the much anticipated TV series Council of Dads based on the book written by Savannah native author Bruce Feiler.
Also in 2019, Savannah was named number one as “Best 10 Small Cities and Towns to Live and Work as a Moviemaker” by MovieMaker magazine. This was the fifth year in a row that Savannah has been named in the top three, landing the number one spot in 2019, 2017 and 2016.