The beginning of the Georgia Film Commission

While Georgia is well known as the film industry mecca of the South, not many know that President Jimmy Carter helped the state make its foray into movies.

As the then-Governor of Georgia, Carter established the first-ever state film commission in 1973 after seeing the business that production of the film “Deliverance,” starring Burt Reynolds, brought to the state the previous year.

From there, film production throughout the state steadily grew, including additional films starring Reynolds. Then, in 1979 television production made its way to Georgia when the series “The Dukes of Hazzard” filmed its first several episodes in Covington.

– Laura Cubbage, 360 Media, Inc.