HOMEGROWN SUCCESS STUDENT, ALUMNI PROJECTS HELP KEEP NORTH CAROLINA IN THE FILM BUSINESS
“A LIttle Prayer,” 2023
By Preetam Nayak
Photo courtesy of “A LIttle Prayer”
KNOWN FOR ITS picturesque landscapes and
multitude of distinct locations, the Tar Heel State has been a thriving hub for the film industry for decades. From the upcoming “Summer Camp” with Diane Keaton and Kathy Bates, shot in western North Carolina, to “Halloween Kills,” directed by Filmmaking alumnus David Gordon Green (B.F.A. ’98), shot in the eastern part of the state, North Carolina is no stranger to bringing big-ticket projects home. Films like comedy classic “Talladega Nights,” epic coming-of-age historical drama “The Color Purple,” sci-fi action film “The Hunger Games,” and countless others have set the precedent that North Carolina is rich not only in location but also in talent, both in front of lens and as well as behind it. With one of the nation’s top film schools located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is well situated to both train talent and attract it back to the state. Despite all this, the journey to permanently establish North Carolina as a film hub hasn’t always been smooth.
The state’s film industry was dealt a blow in 2015 when the film and television tax credit program shifted and the allocation amount was scaled back. This move, which lowered the fiscal benefit for productions filming in North Carolina, led producers to look for better deals in nearby states. Despite a track record of successful projects like “Iron Man 3” and “Cabin Fever” (produced by School of Filmmaking Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies Lauren Vilchik), that raked in hefty box-office numbers, and “Eastbound & Down,” created by Filmmaking alumnus Danny McBride (B.F.A. ’99), that garnered loyal viewership and boosted the local economy, the state lost upward of $400 million in jobs across multiple industries and economic investments, according to a timeline curated by the Raleigh News & Observer. Fast-forward to 2021: The state’s film and television grant program increased the rebate amount for productions and North Carolina once again caught the eye of producers and studios despite the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the North Carolina Film Office, the changes contributed to the state’s film industry closing out a historic year and reaching an all-time high with $416 million spent on productions. 17
