igh, N.C. - N.C. Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla III and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. announced three productions will receive funds from the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant.
“North Carolina has a lot to offer the film and entertainment industry and we look forward to these productions getting underway and providing job opportunities across the state,” said Secretary Skvarla. “These projects present a chance to establish long term relationships, showcase our state’s quality of life, and highlight North Carolina’s natural beauty.”
Good Behavior, Love It or List It, and the Untitled Jody Hill Project were selected from 17 applications. Each project will begin production this fall.
The three grant recipients join the television series Under The Dome, which just recently wrapped up principal photography on its third season in the Wilmington area. The four projects combined are expected to have direct in-state spending of more than $60 million. Funds for these projects are allocated in the 2014-15 budget.
The following are the three newest film and entertainment grant recipients:
Good Behavior is a television pilot set in North Carolina and based off of the best-selling Letty Dobesh books by Blake Crouch. Fresh out of prison, Dobesh is attempting to stay afloat, but her life changes when she is set on a collision course with a hired hitman. The pilot will film primarily out of Wilmington, but is expected to do some work in the greater Asheville area. The eligible grant amount is up to $1.25 million.
Love It or List It will film a second season in the greater Triangle area with production taking place in Durham and Raleigh among other towns and cities. In the reality/lifestyle show, two professional contractors—one an interior designer and the other a real estate expert—meet with a family and decide whether the homeowners should renovate their home to meet the owners’ needs or sell the home to purchase a new one. The show airs on HGTV. The eligible grant amount is up to $950,000.
And finally, the Untitled Jody Hill Project is an independent feature film to be directed by North Carolina native and UNC School of the Arts alumnus Jody Hill. Hill also wrote the script for the feature along with fellow NC native and UNCSA alum Danny McBride and John Carcieri. They will film in the far western region of the state. The film is about a father and his son and their outdoor adventure. The eligible grant amount is up to $2.8 million.
“We are excited about these new projects and look forward to providing job opportunities to our state’s film professionals as well as opportunities for talent within the state,” said Guy Gaster, director of the North Carolina Film Office within the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “These projects will continue a long tradition of excellence in filmmaking in our state.”
The North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant provides financial assistance to attract productions that will stimulate economic activity and create jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet direct in-state spending requirements to qualify for grant funds.