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Georgia film industry faces 50 percent revenue drop
President Trump endorsed federal tax incentives to keep film and television jobs in the United States. Industry stakeholders explain how changes to the tax code could benefit production studios.
ATLANTA - Federal tax incentives backed by President Donald Trump could give a major boost to Georgia's recovering film and television industry, local entertainment stakeholders say.
Georgia entertainment industry rebound
What we know:
Georgia’s entertainment sector is showing signs of recovery after years of economic strain from streaming shifts, pandemic disruptions, labor strikes, rising costs and foreign competition.
Local studio owner Jason Ivany, who operates Ambient Plus Studios in Northeast Atlanta, said business is improving compared to last year.
Ivany rents space to commercial and entertainment projects and said his studio is receiving noticeably more calls for bookings.
State industry leaders report a steady rise in independent projects, though overall revenue remains lower than previous highs. Darius Evans, co-president of the non-profit Georgia Production Partnership, said the state currently sees about $2-billion a year in production revenue. That total represents a 50-percent drop from Georgia's peak of more than $4-billion recorded in 2022.
Proposed federal tax credits
What they're saying:
President Donald Trump endorsed proposed federal tax code changes this week aimed at increasing incentives and retaining movie and television jobs nationwide. Trump previously threatened to place a 100-percent tariff on overseas film productions last year, but now supports pushing a bipartisan bill through Congress to protect domestic studio profits and jobs.
Georgia entertainment executives support federal incentives to supplement existing state programs. "One-hundred-percent for it," Evans said. He said national tax credits could help Georgia's industry climb back to its $4 billion peak. Ivany said. "I am generally for it. More companies could afford to make that commercial or that info-piece. I hope it creates more productions as opposed to capturing it from other markets."
Federal incentive legislation details
What we don't know:
Officials have outlined details of the proposed federal tax legislation. It is unclear when lawmakers would officially introduce the tax bill or what exact percentage breaks would be included.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Ambient Plus Studios owner Jason Ivany, who explained how studio bookings and labor costs are impacting local business, as well as Georgia Production Partnership Co-President Darius Evans.