Editor's note: This conversation originally aired on April 5, 2022.
After a turbulent few years, North Carolina’s film industry is making a comeback. The industry saw a historic year in 2021 with an all-time high of $416 million spent on movie and television productions filmed in the state.
When the state’s generous tax credit program expired in 2014, film production here declined drastically. Then, backlash from the controversial House Bill 2 in 2016 dealt the industry another blow, with major productions boycotting the state.
Recent changes to North Carolina’s film grant program appear to have allowed the industry to flourish again. We’ll take a look at the state of the film industry here and North Carolina on screen.
Guests
Guy Gaster, director of the North Carolina Film Office
Beth Petty, director of the Charlotte Regional Film Commission
Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission
Then...
When the Manor Theatre went dark in 2020, Charlotte lost its last art house movie theater. Since then, cinemas nationwide have struggled to stay open as the pandemic has created a trend towards more at-home entertainment options.
Now, the Charlotte Film Society is making a big bet that people want to come back. They will soon open a three-screen, nonprofit cinema specializing in independent films. Meet the folks behind The Independent Picture House.
Guests
Brad Ritter, president, Charlotte Film Society
Jay Morong, creative director, Charlotte Film Society and senior lecturer of Theatre and Film, Department of Theatre, UNC Charlotte
