Phrases like “They’re filming on my street” and “I saw McDreamy running the lakes” have become part and parcel of our conversations in Baton Rouge, getting little more than a raise of the eyebrow instead of the gasps such anecdotes might have once invoked.
With arguably the most successful film credit tax incentive program in the country, Louisiana’s film industry has bolstered Baton Rouge to a permanent spot among the ranks of “film cities,” just behind New York and Los Angeles. Among the beneficiaries of the exploding interest in film here is the New Orleans Film Festival, an annual event with attendance up an astounding 40% last year as organizers screened the work of more than 60 filmmakers.
This month, the festival returns Oct. 14-20, with plenty to offer Baton Rougeans looking for a creative daytrip. The New Orleans Film Festival will screen both locally and nationally produced films at several venues, including the historic Prytania Theatre, The Theatres at Canal Place, Second Line Stages and a new addition: a drive-in screening. This year’s jury panel will include 2011 Academy Award winners Melissa Leo and Luke Matheny along with Treme star Wendell Pierce. In addition to films—including LSU screenwriting instructor Zack Godshall’s latest directorial effort, Lord Byron—the festival will showcase free panel discussions and a series of parties open to the public.