Louisiana continues to be a popular destination for film crews for various productions.

Last week, the annual Southern Screen Film Festival was held at the AcA in downtown Lafayette. 

Guest speakers as well as directors and writers from across the country and the world converged in the Hub City. 

 

“The production work here is prevalent,” said Southern Screen director Julie Bordelon. “Several companies have been putting together films.” 

 

 Lafayette Economic Development Authority conducted a 2018 study which showed the five films that were in production in Acadiana this year will create $3.2 in new income for the region. 

 

“The film industry touch’s a number of different of different people,” said Ben Berthelot, executive director of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission.  

 

The industry continues to grow in the region, especially when it comes to short films. The goal is to keep the homegrown talent local.

“We need to keep the talent here,” said writer/director Peter DeHart.

 

There has been a local niche created for smaller films, Berthelot said. 

 

After 2018, local production companies Active Entertainment and Curmudgeon Films are expected to film eight movies per year in Louisiana. Film budgets range drastically from $350,000 to $5 million per film.