February 10, 2021

Savannah’s Georgia Tech campus could soon house a major movie studio. Here’s what we know. (savannahnow.com)

Savannah may be getting a large-scale film studio on the site that currently houses Georgia Tech’s local campus.

At a meeting of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Committee on Real Estate on Tuesday, Sandra Neuse, the University System of Georgia’s vice chancellor for real estate and facilities, presented the board with plans to convert the campus into a major production studio, in partnership with Georgia Film Academy.

The campus, located off Jimmy Deloach Parkway and Interstate 95, houses Georgia Tech’s professional development program. In the presentation, Neuse noted that those courses would be moved to a more centralized location in Savannah.

In the presentation, Neuse said Savannah is a “significant participant in production-related activities in Georgia,” and that the area currently lacks sufficient scalable, purpose-built sound stages and production facilities. 

By: Will Peebles

Continue Reading at savannahnow.com

Bill could provide more than $250M in tax relief for Georgians, exempts PPP loans from state tax (henryherald.com)

(The Center Square) – The Georgia House has advanced a bill that could save taxpayers more than $250 million if it becomes law and would make certain federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans tax exempt.

The measure, House Bill 265, makes an annual update to the state’s revenue code to extend tax deductions for medical expenses, charitable contributions and business meals.

The House passed the measure unanimously Tuesday, and it now heads to the Senate for consideration.

By: Nyamekye Daniel

Continue Reading at henryherald.com

Georgia Firm Bay Point Expands Financing For Local Productions With Kevin Bacon Starrer ‘One Way’; Calls State ‘Hollywood East’ (deadline.com)

Atlanta investment firm Bay Point Advisors is launching a film financing division for productions in state with its first project as senior lender to Andrew Baird’s crime thriller One Way with Kevin Bacon, Travis Fimmel and Colson Baker. One Way is shooting in the southwest Georgia city of Thomasville.

The new division, Bay Point Media, could finance three projects a year going forward with budgets ranging from “a couple of million” to $20 million, said Rob Moran, the actor/producer who oversees the newly launched division with Chandler Rierson. Moran (Me, Myself & Irene, Dumb & Dumber) is a an LA transplant with decades of Hollywood relationships including a career-long collaboration Peter and Bobby Farrelly. He said Bay Point’s broad goal is “to attract intellectual property creators to Georgia – writers, directors, TV show runners, studios and others.”

Moran told Deadline the firm currently has three to four projects in development.

Rierson cited Georgia’s state-of-the-art studios, skilled workforce, diverse landscapes and up to 30% tax incentives as a reason the state “will continue to be valued not just as ‘Hollywood East’ but as its own singular production hub. We are pleased to have our capital serve as a catalyst in the development of media infrastructure, content creation and distribution.”

By: Jill Goldsmith

Continue Reading at deadline.com