Film Athens Wants to be Included in the Economic Development Picture in Athens, Ga.

a movie by native Athenian James Ponsoldt, brought actors and writers, the director and countless workers to Athens during the summer of 2012.

During two weeks of preparation and 25 days of filming, the production spent more than $300,000 in Athens.

Athens resident Danielle Robarge helped scout locations for “The Spectacular Now.” Now, she’s spreading the word about Film Athens, a group that both celebrates movies and movie production and advocates for investing in film and making it part of Athens’ economic future. It's been around since 2004, but is now gathering steam, more attention and members.

“There are a lot of people in film in town, though most of them commute to Atlanta for work,” Robarge says. “And there are aspiring filmmakers who make their living another way but work in film on the weekends.”

One important thing that she and other members of Film Athens do is to promote Athens as a film location to those in "the outside world," as she calls it, who’ve never visited. They may know Senoia and Covington for the TV shows filmed there, but don't think of Athens when a film project comes up.

Robarge wants whoever is chosen to run the county's new Economic Development Department "to consider film and art as something we need to invest in."

For more information about the cost and benefits of joining Film Athens, click here.

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