ST. MARYS, GA—After weeks of research and discovery of potential film locations for Braveart’s filming of “Eye of the Hurricane,” Hollywood Producer Susan Johnson has announced the project will be filmed in St. Marys, Georgia.
“We are thrilled to be shooting ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ in St. Marys, due in no small part of the folks at the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance. Initially we were looking for a location that could match the Florida Everglades, but once we saw St. Marys, the possibilities were endless,” Johnson stated. “We saw every location we needed in the span of four hours and became so enamored of the look of St. Marys that the script has been rewritten to utilize the entire town. And we could not have received a warmer welcome. By the time we finish production, I'm sure one of us will have moved in permanently!”
Coastal Georgia Film Alliance Chair Doug Vaught said that “Eye of the Hurricane” will be a real economic coup for the area and an opportunity for local people and businesses to benefit from the production.
“Beside the hundreds of room nights in our hotels and bed and breakfasts that the production will provide, the cast and crew will be eating in our restaurants, shopping in our shops, and patronizing numerous businesses for various services needed,” Vaught said. “There will even be opportunities for locals to work as extras on the set.”
Janet Brinko, Director of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau, sees the economic effect impacting long after the production is finished.
“People love to visit places where movies were filmed,” Brinko said. “After the filming of ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ in Savannah, their area tourism soared. Having ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ filmed here will be like having a two-hour picture postcard for St. Marys distributed all over the world.”
To see the kind of picture postcard Brinko envisioned, one can visit www.havensfoot.com and view the location visuals posted by the production company showing the beauty of St. Marys and the surrounding area. “Eye of the Hurricane” writer and director Jesse Wolfe said it was more than the beauty of the area that helped make his and Johnson’s decision.
"I originally wanted to shoot the film in Florida, as it is a story based in Florida,” Wolfe said. “But from the moment we drove into St. Marys, I knew I would change my mind. Potential locations leapt out at me each time we turned a corner, and the hospitality, enthusiasm and charm of the townsfolk, sealed the deal. I will be making my ‘Florida film’ in St. Marys, Georgia."
Barbara Ryan, Coastal Georgia Film Alliance Co-Chair and a founder of the film group said that working with Johnson and Wolfe on the location scout was a pleasure, and the ensuing footwork by Vaught and Brinko really paid off.
“All major locations were secured and housing was established within a week after the initial location scout,” Ryan said. “This is the kind of energy and cooperation that will attract future film production in the area.” Ryan also credits the State of Georgia’s visionary thinking on economic development and the aggressive film industry incentives offered here for bringing the production to Coastal Georgia.
“The Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act provides an income tax credit of up to 30% for filmmakers,” Ryan continued. “Entertainment productions in Georgia have increased 400 percent since the state introduced the tax credit package in 2008. More than 100 feature films, television series, specials and pilots have been produced in Georgia since then, helping catapult the state into the top five in the nation for film and TV production in 2009, and landing it in the top spot in the Southeast.”
This year alone (as of April 22) movies filmed in Georgia have grossed over $415 million at the box office, further cementing the state's position as a leading location for filming.
Actor Campbell Scott will play the leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” Son of Hollywood icon George C. Scott, more than 20 movies comprise his film dossier including the poignant “Dying Young” that co-starred Julia Roberts. Jose Zuniga also plays a leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” His credits include the film “Twilight” and others, as well as starring roles in television series “Law and Order,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and “Ghost Whisperer.”
A plot synopsis of “Eye of the Hurricane” describes it as: “A compelling family drama about a small Florida community struggling to put their lives back together in the wake of a devastating hurricane. In the spirit of ‘Stand by Me’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ is told through the eyes of a determined child, a troubled adolescent, a wounded parent, and a loyal friend.”
With filming set to begin in August, Writer/Director Wolfe sees “Eye of the Hurricane” as a prequel to much more filming in the Southeast.
“The potential is enormous,” Wolfe said. “The resources in this area are vast. There are thousands of stories waiting to be told on screen and hundreds of filmmakers chomping at the bit to apply their craft here. I believe ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ can be a pioneering movie in this endeavor.”
For more information about “Eye of the Hurricane,” visit www.havensfoot.com. For more information about the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance, visit www.coastalgeorgiafilm.org.
