Behold, Atlanta’s shiny new film office!

Office of Entertainment to help streamline permitting process for city’s burgeoning film scene

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  • Joeff Davis/CL File
  • Department would streamline permit process to shoot in the city, help mitigate neighborhood impacts



After several years of discussion, Atlanta will finally get its long-awaited film office.

The Atlanta City Council yesterday voted 11 to 2 to create the city’s Office of Entertainment, which will soon help City Hall deal with the booming film industry.

As we wrote last week, the new film office’s main responsibilities will include streamlining the permitting process for movies made in the city and establishing a point of contact for residents to voice concerns about local productions.

The legislation survived an earlier motion by Councilwoman Yolanda Adrean that would’ve tabled the bill for two weeks so that some of the Neighborhood Planning Units in her district would be able to further vet the new office. Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd agreed, adding that they “should’ve taken the time to get it right.”

But momentum to get the office up and running - following years of delays - overtook the cries for caution. Councilman Michael Julian Bond illustrated the urgency for the office by describing an incident last week where traffic from a movie production created “havoc in the community” while the ordinance was being debated in committee.

Bond, with the ordinance set to pass, stressed that the bill could still be tweaked down the road if needed.

“It’s written on paper, not written in stone,” Councilman Bond said. “So if there is something that needs to be changed ... we can certainly do that, virtually at any time.”

CL has reached out to Mayor Reed’s staff to find more information regarding the office. We’ll post an update once we hear back.