HOLLYWOOD IN TOCCOA

Toccoa’s just about ready to get its own “HOLLYWOOD”-style letter sign. For much of cinema history, the West Coast, specifically California, has been home to most movie studios and filming locations.

Now, and for the past two years, Georgia has surpassed California and is the number one place in the world to do business in the film industry.

According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, just in the fiscal year 2017, film and TV production had an economic impact in Georgia of $9.5 billion.

Toccoa has seen quite a bit of the filmmaking business. Not only due to the natural beauty of our community, picturesque downtown with quaint shops and restaurants, historic courthouse, beautiful pastures, lakes, rivers and rolling hills, farming homesteads with a variety of barns and original outbuildings, and the list goes on, Toccoa has become a prime scouting location for reps in the film industry.

Toccoa-Stephens County is a Georgia Camera Ready Community and has been home base for six film projects in the past three years. Some of those films include Heritage Falls, County Line, Legal Action, The Legend of Five Mile Cave, and When We Last Spoke. All of which have brought well-known actors such as Melissa Gilbert, Cloris Leachman, Corbin Bernsen, David Keith, Tom Wopat, Jeff Fahey, Grant Goodeve, Eric Close, Tommy Flanagan, Adam Baldwin, Jill Wagner, and Jet Jurgensmeyer to Toccoa. Movies filmed in Toccoa have premiered on Inspiration Network (INSP), Netflix, Amazon, and other means of distribution. According to the production company executives who have produced films in Toccoa, what makes these films truly unique in our homegrown community is how hospitable and supportive the people and civic leadership of Toccoa-Stephens County are to them.

Our people come in droves to be extras in the films. They enjoy being involved and wearing period-appropriate attire. We have quite a collection of vintage automobiles right here in our area, and oftentimes, local homes are utilized for cast and crew.

Our downtown businesses have been used as filming locations, for serving the cast and crew, building props, managing wardrobe, and other logistical needs for the sets. The Historic Ritz Theatre has served as the premiere location for two of the films, with more scheduled for the future. Our hotels, conference centers, restaurants, local retailers, as well as residents, all benefit from the investment made in our community during the preparation, shooting, and wrap up of each film project in Toccoa-Stephens County.

The film production crews keep coming back to Toccoa, not only because of the natural beauty, but because of the amazing people who make our community a great place to do business and a greater place to do life! Come on downtown to Toccoa so you can see what keeps them coming back!