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and has contributed to over $300 million in state earnings and more than $800 million in sales for Louisiana businesses according to the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.

This is an industry that keeps growing and growing. Through the Entertainment Development Fund, created in 2017, LED has worked to support education and workforce opportunities in the entertainment industry. This means Old Algiers Main Street Corp. will receive $274, 631 over the next two years to train young adults for behind-camera jobs in the film and television industry. It means University of Louisiana at Lafayette is getting $920,000 to develop the visual effects program and launch a location scouting platform based on virtual reality technology. It also means a program for student filmmakers at Nicholls State University received $47,171 to set up a

Film Studies Suite equipped with new production tools that will enhance training in a range of filmmaking techniques. The films are coming, and Louisiana will be ready.

“Louisiana remains a premier global destination for motion picture production and, as a result, we have been able to invest in workforce development and education initiatives through the Entertainment Development Fund,” says Chris Stelly, Executive Group Director for Louisiana Entertainment and Digital Media. “This fund is laying the groundwork for the development of virtual production, post-production, digital media, and other state-of-the-art media training programs statewide. Investing in our intellectual infrastructure is vital so that we can provide the necessary workforce and creative minds for the future of these industries in our state.” 