In Natchez, the Stage Is Set
Hailed as the South’s new Hollywood, the historic mansions, storied setting, and painting-like landscapes have transformed the River City into a premiere film destination. With a little help from a few local ambassadors, of course.
Thanks to the revival of a Mississippi economic incentive program in 2019, Natchez is well on its way to becoming a filmmaking mecca. Owing to its wealth of natural and architectural beauty, along with a rich historic tapestry, the River City transports viewers to far-flung backdrops, including France, Georgia, and Vietnam. Turns out, Natchez's historic streets, storied cemeteries, and Baroque-like landscapes make it an incredibly versatile film setting.
Atop the ever-present bluff, Natchez offers a weekend of much-needed escape and exploration unfolding with sunset shades of burnt orange and pink over green fields and forests.
The help of acclaimed director and Jackson native Tate Taylor, doesn't hurt, either. When his 2011 film The Help was met with critical acclaim along with four Academy Award nominations—solidifying Taylor's place in Hollywood in the process—the fifty-two-year-old moved back to his home state for good. Since then, Taylor has become an ambassador for Natchez in the film industry, bringing big-budget releases to film there including Ma, Breaking News in Yuba County, and Get on Up.
Over time, Taylor has recognized the need and appetite for local Mississippians to get into the film industry. After years of promoting the region from within the film industry, Tate founded Film Natchez in 2019. The nonprofit organization aims to bolster the local economy by bringing in representatives from all facets of the film industry—from stunt coordinators to screenwriters to special effects to casting—to host workshops and act as resources for residents interested in exploring such work themselves.
The benefits to local commerce extend far beyond the production itself. According to Taylor, The Help dumped $17 million into Leflore County’s tourism market with people coming to visit the Greenwood locations from the movie. the South’s new Hollywood. conviviality of local culture, embrace/welcome, subverts expectations, eccentricity and aesthetics. The Visit Natchez team is currently working on a program where locals and visitors alike can take tours and visit the sites seen in the movies filmed in Natchez.
The approaching arrival of February marks the resume of the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, an annual symposium devoted to Southern literature, history, film, and culture for over thirty years. This year's theme is "Mississippi: A Tapestry of American Life" event returns February 24—26, drawing nationally renowned scholars and authors for a weekend of presentations, panel discussions, film screenings, and more.
Come April, it’s time for the twenty-first annual Crossroads Film Festival, a Jackson-area showcase of Southern cinema designed to introduce viewers to a broader spectrum of film. Over one hundred films, which range from two minutes to two hours, will be available online, with in-person premieres. mississippitourguide.com.
Sponsored by Mississippi Development Authority