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USA: MISSISSIPPI southern belle from classic antebellum Southern mansions, and pre-civil war residences through to middle-class ranches and it has extensive surrounding cotton fields, much like the Jackson of fifty years ago. But, while the state shows off its rich history, it is forward looking and has ample contemporary settings. Upcoming Blumhouse Productions’ psychological thriller Ma starring Octavia Spencer has recently been filming in the state, as has comedy The Hollars starring John Krasinski and Anna Kendrick.
Mississippi has a long history of welcoming productions, but the state’s versatile settings remain surprisingly underused. However, a decent film incentive has managed to attract a mix of high-end features and low budget independents which keeps Mississippi on the big screen.
The state’s cash rebate film incentive returns 25% on expenditures made to Mississippi vendors as well as 30% on the payroll of Mississippi residents and an extra 5% for any resident who is a veteran of the US Armed Forces. The scheme accommodates small independent projects as the minimum spend is set at USD50,000 as well as larger productions since there is a USD10 million per project cap. tiff competition from nearby production hubs in Louisiana, Georgia and Florida, has meant that Mississippi has remained under the radar to a large extent. But the state, whose versatile pastoral settings and historic towns are synonymous with southern charm, has reeled in a steady number of period dramas as well as an increasing range of contemporary features.
The landscapes available in the state range from agricultural scenery throughout the Mississippi Delta to rolling hills along the Natchez Trace and white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. Get on Up (main image), Universal’s James Brown biopic is a great example of the versatility of these locations. None of the film the stAte’s cAsh rebAte takes place in Mississippi but it was film incentive returns all shot in the state. Not only did 25% on expenditures cityscapes double for Cincinnati, mAde to mississippi Ohio and Augusta, Georgia but the suppliers As well As Mississippi Coliseum stood in for 30% on the pAyroll of Madison Square Gardens and the state also provided global settings mississippi residents including Vietnam and Paris. Mississippi is well set up for period dramas. The majority of 2011’s The Help filmed in the Greenwood, a city in the eastern Delta which easily transformed into the state capital of Jackson in the 1960s. Greenwood’s architectural highlights range
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LIFESTYLE
Mississippi is often referred to as the spiritual home of blues, rock ‘n’ roll and country music. Diehard Elvis fans make the pilgrimage to his birthplace in Tupelo, while Muddy Waters’ sharecropper cabin is one of the things to see at The Clarksdale Delta Blues Museum. Music is so engrained here that state capital Jackson is dubbed the city of soul. For a true Mississippi music experience, head to Red’s Juke Joint where true musicians play the blues in an electric atmosphere. If you’re not so into rock and roll, visit one of Mississippi’s excellent restaurants that range from something creative and upscale through to good down-home Southern soul food. Images: Get On Up Photo by D Stevens - © 2014 Universal Pictures. Steven Gaertner.