Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, many major studios halted the production of million-dollar projects for the safety of everyone involved. Films were canceled, delayed and delayed again. Some were released on streaming services, stripping away any chance at earning revenue from struggling movie theaters. The studio film industry suffered major losses during this time, as many states like California and Georgia were slow in opening back up. Filmmakers had to relocate their productions to other states which were quick to open back up because much of their productions involved hundreds of individuals onset. Mississippi was one of them, leading to an increase of film production within the state.
In an interview by Kelly Bennett for Super Talk Mississippi, Nina Parikh, the director of the Mississippi Film Office, said the film industry in Mississippi benefited from the pandemic. Unlike many other states in the nation, studio film productions were able to safely operate in many areas in Mississippi, which led to nine feature films being produced in 2020 and 12 feature films being produced in 2021.
Production studios also benefited from unique incentives for film production offered by the state. The incentive, known as the Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Program, was signed into law by Governor Phil Bryant in 2019. According to The Mississippi Film Office’s website, it allowed motion picture production companies in the state 25% tax rebates for non-residential cast and crew members. Films like “The Card Counter,” a crime drama starring Tiffany Haddish and Oscar Isaac, released in 2021, and “The Inspection,” an A24 film starring Gabrielle Union and Jeremy Pope, enjoyed the economic and stress-free benefits returning or relocating to the state offered for film production.
Major motion pictures are not the only aspect of filmmaking which is currently growing in the state. For many years, independent filmmaking has continued remaining one of the most prominent aspects of filmmaking in the state.
Twelve independent film festivals are expected to premiere in 2022, with three being held in the winter, four being held in the spring and the remaining five appearing in the fall. Each festival offers a chance for certain independent filmmakers to premiere their work to a larger audience. In Biloxi, MS, the Fear Fete Horror Film Festival allows horror film fans the opportunity to watch independent films in their favorite genre. Whereas, in Tupelo, MS, the Tupelo Film Festival provides high school students across the state with the opportunity to win awards and prizes for their short films.
Perhaps the biggest film festival in Mississippi is the Magnolia Film Festival, commonly known as “The Mag.” According to the festival’s website, the festival was the first true film festival in the state. Ron Tibbett, the festival’s creator, started it in 1997 in West Point, MS. The festival has since been moved to the Columbus and Starkville area, where it has stayed since 2000. Since then, the festival has expanded to include a variety of categories for films to win awards in and inspired an emergence of independent filmmaking in the state. Many of the festivals which occur in Mississippi would not exist without the influence of The Mag, which celebrated its 25-year anniversary in February.
Along with the emerging film scene across the state, the film scene in Starkville is steadily growing. According to Sarah Nicholas for MSU, Mississippi State University began offering a film minor in the fall semester of 2019. The additional minor was the result of the collaborative efforts of two academic colleges and the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. The minor provides students with the opportunity to learn more about film production and intricate techniques utilized in the most critically successful films. “The Scene” is MSU’s filmmaking club which also started in 2019. The club is steadily growing and provides opportunities for students interested in film to meet fellow filmmakers and writers, constructively critique one another’s works and get assistance in the production process of their films.
Film production studios across the nation have quickly begun getting back into the swing of things, potentially leaving Mississippi with fewer major studios producing films here. However, the growing independent film scene lives on and will continue to in the future.