Three More NC Film and Entertainment Grant Awards Announced

Latest awardees to have in-state spend in excess of $64.5M, create 7,000+ job opportunities

RALEIGH - - 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 program. Each recipient will begin production within the next 60 days.

Two of our grantees are returning to film in North Carolina and that is exactly what we want- repeat business, said Secretary Skvarla. We want to continue long term relationships on both the big and small screen.

The three-hour filmed musical event Dirty Dancing, the independent feature film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and a new television event series Shots Fired will film in North Carolina. The three projects combined are expected to have direct in-state spending of more than $64.5 million while creating approximately 7,600 job opportunities in the state.

Dirty Dancing is an adaption of the beloved 1987 hit romantic drama and instant movie classic, which was shot in part in North Carolina. Produced by Lionsgate Television in association with Allison Shearmur Production, the TV eventstarring Academy Award-nominated actress Abigail Breslin (Freak Show, Scream Queens, Little Miss Sunshine) and Emmy Award-winning actress Debra Messing (The Mysteries of Laura, Smash, Will & Grace) and singer, dancer, actor Colt Prattes (P!nks music video Try, Rock of Ages)will air domestically on ABC. The production will take place in the states western region, including Jackson and Buncombe Counties among other locations. The eligible grant amount is up to $4 million.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is an independent feature-length film about a small town mother who confronts the local police department as to why there are still no answers in regard to the death of her teenage daughter seven months ago. The production is being produced by the UKs Blueprint Pictures in conjunction with Film4 and Fox Searchlight Pictures. It will also base out of the states western region with filming taking place in Jackson and Buncombe counties among other locations. The eligible grant amount is up to $3,106,772.

Finally, Shots Fired is a series from 20^th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television that will base out of Charlotte. The series examines the dangerous aftermath of racially charged shootings in a small town and will star Sanaa Lathan (The Perfect Guy, Love & Basketball) as an expert investigator who digs into the cases, alongside a special prosecutor sent to the town by the Department of Justice, to seek justice before the divided town erupts. The eligible grant amount is up to $9 million.

North Carolina continues to be a choice location for a variety of projects and the latest recipients, who will join previously awarded productions in the Wilmington and Research Triangle areas, show that this industry is indeed statewide, said Guy Gaster, director of the North Carolina Film Office within the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. In addition to job opportunities for many of our states highly-skilled film professionals, these projects will also help stimulate economic activity in the communities in which they film.

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.