Georgia Film Week kicks off in Atlanta, honoring state entertainment industry founders and workers

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Nearly 400 people attended Atlanta's 2024 Georgia Film Day when the event returned after a four-year hiatus.

Credit: Fulton County Government

Georgia Film Week starts this week, recognizing the contributions of people working in the state’s growing entertainment industry. The event has grown from a single day of celebration to a full week of events.

The city of Atlanta’s annual Georgia Film Day party will be preceded by a week of events recognizing entertainment industry workers. This year’s events include an independent filmmaker panel, information about unions, and a legislator meet and greet

Film Week is organized by the Georgia Production Partnership, a film advocacy group focused on promoting investment in the state’s film productions. GPP Co-President Darius Evans said Film Week is about celebrating the economic growth since the state's film office was founded under Gov. Jimmy Carter 50 years ago.  

“We were doing two to three films a year, making about, you know, $500 to a couple million dollars a year, to where we are now,” Evans said. “We're in our biggest year in the last three years. We were doing $4 billion in production.”

The week begins with a Founder’s Day Luncheon, recognizing the work the GPP has done in the past 30 years since its founding and honoring past leaders in Georgia’s film industry such as Carter and Steve Mensch, former president of Tyler Perry Studios. Both died in December.

Evans said in the wake of the pandemic, strikes, and other issues affecting the film industry, the weeklong celebration has become more important.

“We know it's been challenging, but we are looking towards the future and what the future holds for not just the state of Georgia, but for the industry as a whole,” he said.

Around 400 people are expected to attend this year’s Film Day celebration March 20 at Atlanta City Hall.