Hurricane season coming; New EV plant on the way; Declining film production in Ga.

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast — September 3, 2025

Main Theme Overview

In this episode of Georgia Today hosted by Orlando Montoya, the focus is on three significant topics impacting the state: the potential dangers of the upcoming hurricane season, updates on a delayed electric vehicle (EV) plant project in Middle Georgia, and the noticeable decline in film and television production in the state. Through in-depth reporting and interviews, the episode unpacks the context behind these trends and provides forward-looking insights from key stakeholders.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Declining Film Production in Georgia

State of the Industry

• Sharp downtrend: Georgia saw “245 film and television productions...spent a combined $2.3 billion in the fiscal year that ended in June. That's down by half from the same period in 2022.” [00:48]
• Not unique to the state: This is part of a global and national trend, with production down sharply since 2023.
• Main factors: Lee Thomas, Director of the Georgia Film Office, attributes the decline to a combination of the pandemic, pent-up demand following lockdowns, the rush by streaming services to produce content, and the subsequent crash prompted by industry labor strikes. [01:22–02:13]

Boom vs. Bust: Anomaly or New Normal?

• Lee Thomas reflects: The 2022 boom (with 93 projects at once) was likely an outlier. She says, “I feel like this is an anomaly. I feel like we're going to get some of our momentum back, that we've had a series of things that have been problematic.” [02:37]
• International competition & labor: Thomas notes that studios looked abroad to avoid labor disruptions and for cheaper crews, but emphasizes Georgia’s cost-effective value proposition.

Strategies to Regain Momentum

• Industry outreach: Recent trips to Los Angeles with state economic leaders to promote new incentives and improved processes in Georgia.
  • Streamlining of the film tax credit audit process.
  • Introduction of House Bill 475 (effective January), allowing more nimble responses to industry changes without legislative delays.
  • Reintroduction of the post-production tax credit. [03:32–04:52]

Notable Productions & Stability

• New and continuing local productions:
  • “Beyond the Gates” (CBS soap opera) filmed at Assembly Studios, Doraville.
  • The final season of “Stranger Things” and ongoing series like “Will Trent.”
  • Tyler Perry’s continuing prolific output.
  • Year-round episodic productions offer jobs and stability for local crews, as with “Vampire Diaries,” “Walking Dead,” and “Stranger Things.” [05:17–06:11]
• Industry professionals: Thomas encourages local pros, emphasizing Georgia's resilience: “Our crews, we have some of the best crews in the world…there’s the cheapest and then there's the best value. Ours is probably a better value.” [07:42]

Training & Workforce Development

• Georgia Film Academy: Just opened at Assembly Studios, a unique collaboration between the University System of Georgia and Technical College System, providing hands-on training directly relevant to industry needs. [06:25–07:34]

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2. New Electric Vehicle Plant in Middle Georgia

Imola Automotive Project Update

• Project status: Imola Automotive (Florida-based) still plans to build an EV factory in Fort Valley, producing European-style mini-electric cars, despite more than a year's delay.
• Job creation: The project promises 8,000 new jobs.
• Current milestone: The company has secured plot approval; next step is drawing and stamp approval, after which groundbreaking could occur in 9–12 months. [08:48–09:24]
• Challenges: The company continues to seek investors and financing. [09:24–09:36]

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3. Growth in Magnet Manufacturing

JS Link Plant in Columbus

• Details: Korean company JS Link will invest $223M to build a rare earth permanent magnet plant in Muskogee County, creating 520 jobs.
• Timeline: Operations expected by late 2027.
• Product importance: Magnets are vital for industries like automobiles, elevators, robotics, and electronics. [09:36–10:16]

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4. Legal & Social Updates

Federal Judge Strikes Down FDA Rule on Cigarette Labels

• Background: U.S. district judge Lisa Wood ruled against the procedural implementation (not content) of FDA’s graphic warning label requirements due to legal challenges from the tobacco industry.
• Next steps: The FDA may appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. [10:16–11:08]

Athens Park Renaming Petition

• Initiative: A nonprofit seeks to name a downtown Athens park after Alf Richardson and Madison Davis, the first Black legislators from the county, who served during Reconstruction and endured KKK violence.
• Community effort: Petition tied to a public education event and ongoing local advocacy. [11:08–11:57]

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5. Hurricane Season Risks for Georgia

AccuWeather Forecasts Alarming Season

• Expert perspective: AccuWeather’s Alex Da Silva compares 2025 conditions to 2017 and 2023, both impactful hurricane years.
• Key factors: Unusually warm Gulf waters, akin to what fueled Hurricane Helene last year.
• Projections: AccuWeather maintains a forecast of 13–15 named storms, with peak risk later in September. [11:57–12:50]

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6. Labor: Airport Workers Unionize

Hartsfield-Jackson Plane Train Operators Unionize

• Action: 90 employees (Alstom) at Atlanta’s airport voted to unionize with the Transportation Communications Union and IAM, seeking their first labor agreement.
• Importance: These operators move about 250,000 passengers daily. [12:50–13:25]

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7. Sports Highlight

Braves Closer Ráicel Iglesias Honored

• Award: National League Reliever of the Month (August), his fourth career win, tying the franchise record. [13:25–13:35]

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Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lee Thomas on the downturn:
  “I feel like we're going to get some of our momentum back, that we've had a series of things that have been problematic…We have a great value and we have a great package in Georgia.” [02:37]
• On the Georgia Film Academy’s impact:
  “The great thing about the Georgia Film Academy is that it is really hands-on…they do it in places where it’s going to be exactly like when you walk on set.” — Lee Thomas [06:35]
• Stability of year-round productions:
  “Year round is definitely more stable. And from what we've seen historically… it gives people, it gives a project time to build an audience. And with that comes Film Tour, which has been great with all three of those shows.” — Lee Thomas [05:53]
• Reassurance to industry professionals:
  “All industries… have their ups and downs and I feel like film is especially volatile… But Georgia has a lot going for it. We really do... Ours is probably a better value.” — Lee Thomas [07:42]

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Noteworthy Timestamps

• 01:22–07:42: In-depth discussion with Lee Thomas on Georgia’s film industry challenges and outlook.
• 08:48–09:36: Updates on Imola Automotive’s delayed EV plant project.
• 09:36–10:16: Announcement of JS Link magnet plant investment.
• 11:57–12:50: Hurricane season risks and AccuWeather projections.

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Podcast Tone:
The conversation is frank but optimistic, highlighting both Georgia’s current challenges and its strategies for recovery and growth. The tone is informative, measured, and reassuring—especially for those concerned about film industry jobs and economic opportunities.

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This comprehensive summary covers the major content segments and stories featured in this Georgia Today episode, providing clear context, insight, and direct quotations useful for listeners and non-listeners alike.

Transcript

[Orlando Montoya]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, weather forecasters are warning people on the potential danger of Georgia's upcoming hurricane season. Despite delays, a new electric vehicle factory is still coming to Middle Georgia. And in recent years, film and television productions have been down in the state. But the director of the Georgia Film.

[Lee Thomas]

Office says this is an anomaly. I feel like, you know, we're going to get some of our momentum back.

[Orlando Montoya]

Today is Wednesday, September 3rd. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today.

[Interviewer]

The Georgia film office says 245 film and television productions in Georgia spent a combined $2.3 billion in the fiscal year that ended in June. That's down by half from the same period in 2022. Georgia's situation isn't unique. Global and national film and television productions are down sharply from 2023. Here to help us go behind the numbers is Lee Thomas, director of the Georgia Film Office, the state agency that promotes Georgia film and television productions. I'm at her office at Georgia Tech. Thanks for speaking with me.

[Lee Thomas]

Thank you so much, Orlando.

[Interviewer]

Lee, production is a long way off from the heady days from before the pandemic and before the writers directors strike. Are those the main factors behind this drop or do you see other reasons behind it?

[Lee Thomas]

Yeah, I think that, you know, a series of things happened. I mean, you know, coming out of the pandemic, Georgia was one of the first to reopen. And so we saw some of the traffic that was slated to go to other states end up in Georgia. We also saw a pent up demand, you know, of all of the streaming services trying to keep up with the demand of the viewership. And we also saw, you know, they were all kind of beefing up their slaves. You know, there's a big competition for a while with a lot of the streaming services trying to beef up their libraries and create as much content as they could. And then it all came crashing down.

[Orlando Montoya]

With the writers strike.

[Lee Thomas]

That's right. I think at that time we saw a lot of our, especially our best clients that they were to try to avoid what potentially could have been another work stoppage. They were looking at overseas markets where they felt like they would be immune to it.

[Interviewer]

Now, do you see the current downturn as an anomaly or was the 2018, 2022 boom an anomaly?

[Lee Thomas]

I mean, definitely, you know, the boom which, you know, our biggest numbers were in 2022. And I think that, I don't know that we'll ever see that level again. I mean, we had 93 projects on the ground at one time, and certainly we wouldn't have predicted that a global pandemic would have been fuel for what had been our busiest time. So it's hard to say. But I will say that I feel like this is in, this is an anomaly. I feel like we're going to get some of our momentum back, that we've had a series of things that have been problematic. Overseas markets, these studios getting ready for what could have been, again, more work stoppages. There are, in some cases the labor can be cheaper overseas, and that's something that is a challenge for us. But we have a great value and we have a great package in Georgia. So we feel confident in that.

[Interviewer]

What kind of discussions are you having with other industry leaders in Georgia on how to get that momentum back?

[Lee Thomas]

Yeah, I mean, we're in constant talks, you know, both with people here locally and also, you know, our main, most of our business comes from Hollywood. So we were just out in Los Angeles with the Georgia Department of Revenue. You know, we took our commissioner, Department of Economic Development here, Pat Wilson, and it was a sales trip to talk about, you know, some recent changes that make Georgia more attractive. One is streamlining of the audit process for the film tax credit. There were some issues with that as it was rolled out. And so the Department of Revenue really worked hard in streamlining those processes and make them easier for productions. We also last year were able to pass House Bill 475, which will come online in January. And that again, makes it easier for producers. It makes it easier for us to respond to new types of projects and be more nimble. As you know, we see new platforms pop up. It won't have to go necessarily back through the legislature. We can address those in our rules and regulations, which is great. We saw the return of the post production tax credit. So again, we had some good news stories we wanted to talk about. So we were out in Los Angeles talking about those.

[Interviewer]

And while there have been some big productions that have left Georgia in recent years, the Marvel superhero movies being the most attention grabbing of those with their move to Europe, we've also seen some big productions start up in Georgia, including episodic productions like the new CBS soap opera beyond the Gates being shot at assembly studios in Doraville. So what kind of what Georgia productions are you excited about right now?

[Lee Thomas]

Yeah, I mean, we are fortunate in that we have a pretty robust slate of episodic. As you mentioned, beyond the Gates is doing very well. You know, we're getting ready for the release of Stranger Things. Unfortunately, that's the last season, season five of Stranger Things. But we have other episodic like Will Trent that are here almost year round, which we're very grateful to have those types of shows. And then we are also fortunate. We have people like Tyler Perry. That's like a one person factory of film and television and keeps a lot of people busy.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, I mean, year round is more stable.

[Lee Thomas]

Year round is definitely more stable. And from what we've seen historically with shows like Vampire Diaries or Walking Dead or Stranger Things, it gives people, it gives a project time to build an audience. And with that comes Film Tour, which has been great with all three of those shows. So we do like episodic a lot.

[Interviewer]

Not only time to build an audience, but also time for the crews and the production to build up here and have stable living.

[Lee Thomas]

That's right. It is. It's. You know, some of these shows, literally they go year round.

[Interviewer]

This month, Assembly Studios also saw the grand opening of the new Georgia Film Academy. What can you say about that project and what it can do for film and television production in Georgia?

[Lee Thomas]

I mean, that was one of our challenges right when we started getting very busy after passing the film tax credit in 2008. One of the challenges was having enough crew. Governor Deal started something called the Georgia Film Academy. As you mentioned, it's a partnership between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College system, which is very rare. It's under the Board of Regents and it's at 31 campuses throughout the state. But the great thing about the Georgia Film Academy is that it is really hands on. They use crew people that have been around for a long time that really know how to work on film and television. And they do it in places where it's going to be exactly like when you walk on set. So if you're at assembly and you're working in that new facility that they've just created, you're going to walk across the street once you're finished with that curriculum. And all the equipment will be the same. You know, the stage will look the same. It's not like going from a classroom into, you know, being thrown in the film world.

[Interviewer]

So overall, what would you say to the talented film intelligent industry professionals in Georgia who are worried right now?

[Lee Thomas]

Yeah, I absolutely get it. And this, you know, all industries, you know, have their ups and downs and I feel like film is especially volatile and has been, you know, throughout the 50 years that our office has been in place. But Georgia has a lot going for it. We really do. I mean, we saw especially coming out of the Pandemic when people were doing back to back movies here, we saw a lot of people relocate because they like the quality of life here. And our cruise, we have some of the best crews in the world. And I think, you know, when you see like James Gunn that did Superman here, the reason why he chose Georgia was because he likes the cruise so much. And so there's the cheapest and then there's the best value. Ours is probably a better value.

[Interviewer]

Lee Thomas is director of the Georgia Film Office. Thanks for talking with gpb.

[Lee Thomas]

Thank you so much, Orlando. Appreciate it.

[Orlando Montoya]

The CEO of a Florida based company promising to bring an electric vehicle factory to Middle Georgia says the project is still on despite over a year's worth of delays. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.

[Grant Blankenship]

In 2024, Imola Automotive announced their plan to build a factory in the city of Fort Valley to produce electric versions of the tiny cars you might see in a city in Europe. But since then, there's been no movement on the project, promising 8,000 new jobs despite unflagging support by Fort Valley's May Now CEO Rodney Henry says Imola has passed the first milestone approval by local Planning and Zoning to begin factory site design.

[Lee Thomas]

We have plot approval. Our next step is to get our drawing and stamp approved. Once we get stamp approval, we're about nine to 12 months away from groundbreaking.

[Grant Blankenship]

Meanwhile, Imola's attorney Jay Taylor, says the company is still trying to find investors and finance and to get the Fort Valley factory on the ground. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship. In Fort Valley.

[Orlando Montoya]

A magnet manufacturing company will build a plant in Columbus, creating 520 new jobs. In Muskogee county, the Korea based company, JS Link, will invest $223 million to construct a rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing plant. Operations are expected to begin in late 2027. JSLink is a biotech company. Permanent magnets are components in industries such as automobiles, elevators, robotics and electronics. A federal judge in Georgia has struck down Food and Drug Administration rules that require cigarette makers to place graphic warnings on cigarette packaging. The order, signed Friday, sides with tobacco giant Philip Morris, the Georgia association of Convenience Stores and other plaintiffs in a closely watched case. Brunswick based U.S. district Judge Lisa Wood did not rule against the warning labels themselves, but struck them down based on procedural issues. It's the latest blow to the FDA's efforts to implement new tobacco warning labels. Under the 2009 Tobacco Control act, the agency could appeal the decision to The Atlanta based 11th Circuit U.S. court of Appeals. A nonprofit in Atlanta launched a petition on Tuesday to name a downtown park after the first black legislators to represent Clark county in Atlanta. From WUGA in Athens, Emma Auer reports.

[Emma Auer]

Historic Athens organized a learning event Tuesday about the area's first black legislators, Alf Richardson and Madison Davis, who served during the Reconstruction era. Currently, no public spaces in Athens are named after the two men, which the nonprofit says is an important gap. Matthew Pulver, a local researcher and writer, spoke at the event. He says that Richardson and Davis faced violence at the hands of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan in order to fulfill their elected roles.

[Grant Blankenship]

December of 1870 Alf Richardson is attacked.

[Chase McGee]

By some number of Klansmen, but it.

[Grant Blankenship]

Does not stop him from going back to Atlanta.

[Emma Auer]

After the presentations, attendees were encouraged to sign a petition to name the park next to a newly renovated government building after Richardson and Madison. For GPB News, I'm Emma Auer in Athens.

[Orlando Montoya]

Weather forecasting company AccuWeather says they're confident that this hurricane season could bring dangerous Weather to Georgia. GPB's Chase McGee has more on today's hurricane update.

[Chase McGee]

AccuWeather's lead hurricane expert Alex Da Silva is comparing weather conditions in 2025 to those of years past, including 2017 and 2023 when Harvey, Irma, Maria and Adalia impacted the U.S. he says warm weather conditions in the Gulf are especially alarming, noting the same conditions led to the explosive growth of Hurricane Helene last season.

[Lee Thomas]

This is what we saw in 2024, by the way. We saw kind of a lull in the middle of the season and then things really went to town that second half of the season.

[Chase McGee]

At this point, AccuWeather says they stand by their projection of 13 to 15 named storms this season, with an emphasis that storms could be very active later in September. For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee.

[Orlando Montoya]

For everything you need to know about preparedness in Georgia, the employees who operate and maintain the plane trains at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport have voted to unionize. The 90 employees of Alstom, The French company that operates the trains voted to organize with the Transportation Communications Union and International association of Machinists. The union will now begin preparing for collective bargaining to secure their first agreement. The trains move around 250,000 passengers daily between the terminals in Georgia. SPORTS Atlanta Braves closer racial Iglesias has been named the National League Reliever of the Month for August. The MLB Network made the announcement today, giving him his fourth career Reliever of the Month Award and his third with the Braves after winning in 2023 and 2024. He also also won the award while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. He now matches Craig Kimbrell for the most in franchise history. And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. For more Georgia news, visit gpb.org news that webpage is constantly updated with all the latest from our GPB reporters. If you haven't yet hit subscribe, subscribe on this podcast. Take a moment to do that now. That helps you to keep us current in your feed. And if you have feedback for us, we love to hear it. Email georgia todaypb.org I'm Orlando Montoya, and I'll talk to you again tomorrow.