Film in Liberty County

Liberty County is the perfect place for coastal views and good food, but did y’all know it’s also a prime location for film production?! The beautiful dirt roads, open wooded areas and classical colonial architecture make for some of the perfect locations to film – no matter how big or small the budget is. We’d be willing to bet that some of your favorite movies and TV shows have been filmed right here in our backyard!

Here in Liberty County, We are Camera Ready

As the Camera Ready liaison for Liberty County, we are the spot for production crews to get all of their necessary permits, resources and general information about the area. The requests that we get from scouts are usually for photos of anything and everything! Location scouting is what grabs the attention of producers, so we are always happy to take photos of our beautiful county to share whenever needed. We never know when we will get a request from a scout or where it will take us, but we’re always up for the adventure.

Why Film Matters

One reason that we love the film industry is because it benefits our entire community. The cast and crew add to our economy while they’re in town. They do this by renting out dozens of local hotel rooms, order catering from our restaurants, shopping at grocery stores and much more. This is called clean economic development and in Liberty County it saves every household hundreds of dollars on taxes each year!

In 2017, when John Cena’s popular TV show American Grit filmed here, they bought every bicycle that could be found Liberty County. We don’t have many Uber or Lyft drivers around here, so they had to have a form of transportation. The rise in tax savings and the economic impact from the film industry can be measured by the increased amount of tourism dollars.

Instead of having to haul dirt into downtown Savannah by the truckload, film scouts and producers discovered that the resources they needed were right here in Liberty County. It also helps that Georgia offers a 30% tax incentive to filmmakers who do businesses in the state. In addition to that, the city of Savannah also offers an additional 10% to productions that are filmed within a 40-mile radius, which means that Liberty County is included.

The Benefits of Film Tourism

It’s pretty cool to see famous people that we’ve only seen on screen visiting spots in our county that we know and love. In 2021, Tyler Perry filmed in our office at the historic Bacon Fraser House! Jamie Lee Curtis was spotted at the IGA in Midway, and Oprah Winfrey snapped a photo on the front steps of the historic Dorchester Presbyterian Church. Check out her Instagram and see it for yourself!

Filmed in Liberty County…

Curious what movies and television shows celebrities were in town for? Below is a list of the many productions that have filmed here in the past. Check them out!

• Fear the Walking Dead (2023)

• The Color Purple Musical (2023) – Executive Producers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg

• A Jazzman’s Blues (2022) produced by Tyler Perry

• Halloween Ends (2022) featuring Jamie Lee Curtis

• Manhunt (2022) – Apple TV limited series.

• The Menu (2022) filmed on Hampton Island in Riceboro, Georgia.

• The Excursion (2018)

• Underground (2018)

• Soldier’s Heart (2018) won 9 awards & had 5 nominations at The Wild Bunch Film Festival in 2020.

• The Act (2018) featuring Joey King

• Scared Famous (2017) is a VH1 reality TV series.

  

  📸 Charm Reed

• American Grit (2017) filmed at Hampton Island in Riceboro and Bryant Commons in Hinesville. It also featured one of our favorite locals, Mrs. Charm!

• Anglers and Appetites (2016)

• Live by Night (2016) starring Ben Affleck

• The Intervention (2016)

• Fireball Run (2015) filmed in Hinesville and Midway and at Fort Stewart!

• Ghost Hunters (2015)

• Born in the Wild (2015)

• Finding Bigfoot (2015)

• SiREN (2015)

• Ben & Ara (2015) filmed in Riceboro and downtown Hinesville and won more than 5 awards!

• My Brother’s Keeper (2015)

• A Promise (2013)

• The Town (2010)

• Side Sho (2007)

Keep an eye out for our beautiful county whenever you’re watching any of these great productions! For those interested in filming here, please remember that a film permit is a requirement. It can be found by clicking here! Come #ExploreLiberty. We’ll be waiting for you!