Two films made their way to the Oscar nominations that have their roots in Louisiana. “Django Unchained” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild” are on the list of nods for the 85th annual award show.
A student filmmaker at ULM may not win any Oscars, this year, but he plans to showcase his recent short “Some Mature Content” at festivals here in the state.
Justin Hawn, a senior music major, started making his movie recently and plans to release it soon.
“I didn’t have to deal with the film commission for this project, but usually they are very accommodating,” Hawn said.
While Hawn didn’t take advantage of the tax credits offered by the state, plenty of others in the industry do.
The state offers a 35 percent tax credit to filmmakers who spend more than $300,000 in the state. The office of Louisiana Economic Development estimates that in 2010 over 100 movies, television shows and other entertainment programs were made in Louisiana, which equals more than $800 million of spending in the state.
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” is an indie film starring a girl from Terrebonne Parish who is the youngest actress to receive a nomination from the Academy, according to Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne.
Quvenzhané Wallis received a best actress in a leading role nomination from the Academy for her portrayal of 6-year-old Hushpuppy in the movie.
“Hopefully when the Oscars are over, we can say this is the second year Louisiana has won,” Dardenne said.
Last year “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” won best animated short.
The Office of the Lt. Governor oversees tourism in the state. Dardenne said the film and music boom in Louisiana has helped out with the state’s tourism industry.
“Any attention given to Louisiana is good for the state,” he said. “It [the entertainment industry] continues to be a great magnet to attract people to Louisiana.”
Dardenne said the exposure from television shows set in Louisiana such as Swamp People and Duck Dynasty helps bring tourists to the state.
His office collected more than 11,000 emails from out-of-state people, who entered a contest for a trip to the Atchafalaya Basin after seeing an exhibit of a swamp built by the History Channel in Chelsea Market in New York City.
Dardenne’s office has dedicated 2013 to music in Louisiana as a part of its “Pick Your Passion” tour. And with eight Louisianans up for Grammys this year, Dardenne is looking forward to Louisiana keeping its footing in the industry.
