Film & Entertainment Initiatives

DeKalb's Booming Film & Entertainment Industry

With award-winning talent, a variety of recording and production facilities and a booming film, television and digital media infrastructure, DeKalb County is positioned to support the evolution and expansion of its influential music industry in the digital age. The state’s pro-business climate fosters an environment of entrepreneurship and innovation that drives growth and increases opportunities for music content, production and performance. In addition, under the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, which provides transferrable tax credits of up to 30% for qualified film, TV and interactive productions, the costs associated with sound recording and musical compositions are designated approved expenditures for qualified productions.

  • Production Tax Incentive

    Qualifying productions can save up to 30% tax credit.

  • Location! Location! Location!

    From Stone Mountain to urban landscapes, and small town charm.

  • Real Production Value

    More than 5,000 union and non-union professionals.

  • Camera Ready Program

    A free service providing trained liaisons that are here to help.



Film, Television & Interactive Entertainment Tax Credit

The Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act allows DeKalb County to offer an across-the-board flat tax credit of 20 percent based on a minimum investment of $500,000 on qualified productions in Georgia. The $500,000 minimum expenditure threshold can be met with one or the total of multiple projects aggregated. An additional 10 percent uplift can be earned by including an imbedded, animated Georgia logo and web link on the project’s promotional webpage, or through approved alternatives if they offer equal or greater marketing opportunities for the County. Qualified expenditures include materials, services and labor.

Eligible productions include: feature films, television movies, pilots or series, commercials, music videos, and certain interactive entertainment projects including types of animation, special effects and video game development. Beginning January 1, 2013, interactive entertainment companies will be eligible for this credit only if their gross income is less than $100 million and the maximum credit for any qualified interactive entertainment production company and its affiliates will be $5 million. The total credits available for interactive entertainment production companies and their affiliates will be capped at $25 million and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.

This income tax credit may be used against Georgia income tax liability or the company’s Georgia payroll withholding. If the production company chooses, they may make a one-time sale or transfer of the tax credit to one or more Georgia taxpayers. Film, Television, and Interactive Entertainment Tax Credits are subject to program requirements as outlined in O.C.G.A. § 48-7-40.26.

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Become A Part of Our Success

While movies can be the stuff of make believe, the film and television industry in Georgia provides more than 25,000 real jobs for real people. And those are just the jobs directly involved in production. Other film-related jobs include hair and makeup stylists, caterers, truck drivers, electricians, painters, construction workers, accountants, security guards and many more. The direct economic benefits of film production in Georgia came to nearly $3.1 billion in 2012 and positively impacted thousands of businesses in DeKalb County, from hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and rental car companies to hardware stores, lumber yards, garden nurseries, heavy equipment rentals and office supply companies.

By working hard to attract film and television production to DeKalb County through tax incentives, Georgia’s Camera Ready program, and by encouraging private partners to build sound stages, post-production facilities and additional infrastructure to support large-scale productions, we’re strengthening DeKalb’s economy and providing jobs and economic stability for families all over the state.

Much of our success rests on the diverse and interesting locations that are present here in DeKalb. Our extensive location library contains homes and businesses from throughout the county that we match to location requests we receive from producers of feature films, television movies, commercials, music videos, corporate media and still photography shoots. If you would like your DeKalb home, business or property considered as a possible filming location, please send your digital photos using the location submission form. Submitted locations may not be accepted if they don’t meet the guidelines, use link below to learn more.

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HELP WANTED HOTLINE

FILMING FAQs

How can DeKalb save me money?

Our large and experienced crew base, production resources, vast array of locations and largely permit-free shooting policies already make DeKalb a smart economic choice. Now with our new generous financial incentives, potentially upwards to 30 percent, shooting in Georgia will save you even more money!

How do I find a crew?

A good resource is the Georgia Film, Video and Digital Entertainment Sourcebook, our annual directory of local production services and staff. If you can’t find what you are looking for, our office will be happy to assist you.

Do I need a permit in DeKalb?

The Development Authority of DeKalb County Office does not issue filming permits. In general, permits are not required for shooting on private property (beyond the owner’s permission) unless public property is impacted. Some municipalities and state and federal agencies may require permits to shoot at certain locations within their jurisdiction. You can contact the Camera Ready Liaisons or call the appropriate municipality or agency to inquire about rules, restrictions, and permitting for your desired location. You can also check our Film Permit list to see which agencies or municipalities have posted filming guidelines.

Can you help me make a movie?

Our office is not involved in the actual production or funding of films. But we’d be happy to assist you with finding locations, production resources, contact information or whatever information you need to get your project off the ground.

Can my property be used in a movie?

Our office contains a large photo library of locations from around the state. We send these photos out to specific productions based on their location needs. If you would like us to consider your property as a filming location, visit the List Your Property page on our website.

How can I connect with the media?

There are several media networking groups in Georgia. Visit the web sites for Atlanta Film Festival 365 and Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) for starters. Both sites offer bulletin boards where you can read and post messages with other local professionals, along with a calendar of events, workshops, etc.

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