UWG
News Item
Contact: University Communications & Marketing
Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
ucm@westga.edu
Movie industry comes to Carroll county
August 1, 2003
CARROLLTON, GA - Lights, camera, action! The movie industry is coming to Carroll County this fall to film a full-length motion picture.
Carrollton Film Partners, LLC will produce a feature film documenting the “tragedy to triumph” journey of the University of West Georgia cheerleading squad that battled back from a 1997 van accident that killed two cheerleaders and the coach to win the national championship for the past two years. The film will have the working title “Cheer the Brave.”
“We want to make a movie that will honor the spirit and courage of those that were involved,” stated Richard Mix of Carrollton Film Partners.
Mix, a Carrollton resident, is excited about the opportunity and exposure for Carroll County that the film will generate. It has long been his desire to bring a film project to Georgia.
“This will be fun for the town,” Mix said. “Stars will be here in the community, staying in our hotels and eating in our restaurants. Local residents can have a part as extras in the film.”
With
the film company utilizing the services of local businesses, the project
will have a strong impact on economic development, points out Daniel Jackson,
vice president of Carroll Tomorrow.
“An important part of our job at Carroll Tomorrow is to encourage
and support economic and community development projects in Carroll County,”
Jackson noted. “The economic impact of a movie filmed in Carroll
County will be significant, but the added excitement of movie stars and
film crews in town, our own University and cheerleaders being featured
in the movie, and the chance for our local people to be extras make it
really special.”
Dr. Beheruz Sethna, UWG president, said that it is a pleasure for UWG to be involved in this exciting project.
“We hope that, when completed, the movie will capture the essence of the University of West Georgia. The elements are all there: the personal environment that helped students, their families, the cheerleading team and the institution get through a very difficult time; the quest for national excellence that drives many of us; and the support that we receive from our well-wishers,” Sethna said.
Joining Mix in this movie project is Sam Hensley, writer, actor, film producer and attorney in Marietta. In 2001, he co-produced a feature film based on his original screenplay called All You Need. Starring Kellie Martin from the NBC television series ER, All You Need enjoyed a regional theatrical release before being purchased for its cable television premiere on the Lifetime channel. The film will be directed by Emmy award winner Randy Ser.
Mix’s most recent film, Terror Tract starring John Ritter (8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter), Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) and Rachel York (Second Honeymoon, Au Pair II), premiered in Los Angeles in 2000 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre.
The domestic rights to the film were sold to USA Films, and Terror Tract premiered on the USA Network in October of that year. The USA film sale, along with revenue from international sales, continues to pay dividends to those who invested in Terror Tract.
Mix and Hensley both noted that Carrollton Film Partners will provide opportunities for local investors. “Local residents can get involved in the project at many levels,” Mix said. “Every film production seeks financial backing, and local individuals can invest in the project. Others with an interest in filmmaking can volunteer to be part of the crew.”
“Although this is a relatively small budget film by Hollywood standards, more than 100 people will be part of the cast and crew,” Mix noted.
A significant portion of the shooting on location will take place on the University of West Georgia’s campus.
“This is our opportunity to share with America the many points of excellence of UWG,” Sethna said. “The process of carving out a national reputation is a slow and incremental one, and is assisted by the accomplishments of our wonderful students, faculty and staff, and by powerful and meaningful stories such as this one.”
In exchange for UWG’s involvement with the shooting, Carrollton Film Partners will donate $20,000 to be used for cheerleading scholarships and the University will share in potential proceeds from the film.
According to Mix, the state of Georgia has recognized the significance of attracting the movie industry to the state by creating the Georgia Film, Video and Music Office. Greg Torre, director of the state agency, said his office works to support local filmmakers who are creating successful products, as well as promotes Georgia to the motion picture industry in Los Angeles and New York.
Recent projects filmed in the state include Sweet Home Alabama, Dumb and Dumberer, Remember the Titans and a number of independent films such as Cheer the Brave.
In the past three years, the Georgia Film, Video and Music Office assisted with 500 projects that had direct economic impact for the state.
For more information about the UWG/Carrollton Film Partners project, contact Jackson at Carroll Tomorrow at 770-832-9272, Mix at 770-634-7242 or Lisa Ledbetter, director of public relations at the University of West Georgia at 770-836-6464.
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