Another great day at The Pirates House! RCSE was lucky to have a visiting Rotarian from Wisconsin and Gordon Smith received a Paul Harris Fellow +2 pin. Once all business items were discussed, Laura Lane McKinnon introduced our speakers for today - Beth Nelson and Andy Young with the Savannah Regional Film Commission.
The Savannah Regional Film Commission became a division of SEDA about 2 1/2 years ago and the mission of the organization is to bring an increased economic impact to our area through film by marketing Savannah to the entertainment industry. One of the ways they are doing this is through tax incentive programs. The State of Georgia started an incentive program in 2008 and Savannah followed with their own. If a production company spends $2 million within 60 miles of City Hall, they will receive 10% back.
There are many benefits of films shooting in Savannah and the surrounding areas. They bring jobs to Savannah and a lot of local businesses benefit from the filming - hardware, props, paint, clothing, housing, food, entertainment, etc. Some of the companies also give back to charities in the area as well such as donating building supplies to Habitat for Humanity or donating leftover food to help feed the homeless. In 2017, the entertainment industry spent $65 million in Chatham County. That number rose to $120 million in 2018. The industry loves Savannah for the lifestyle, the Historic District, and the versatile landscape (swamp, rivers, farmland, coast). To date, Gemini Man is the largest production to film in Savannah. To learn more about filming in Savannah, please visit savannahfilm.org