Media Contact
Gwen Campbell
Media, Community & Education Relations
318-673-5062, gwen.campbell@ci.shreveport.la.us
October 6, 2009
New, exciting Shreveport-Bossier Film Trail to be unveiled
Shreveport-Bossier has launched the first-ever film trail in the state of Louisiana. This self-directed tour will highlight many of the major filming productions in and around Caddo and Bossier parishes.
A news conference will be held, 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6 in front of The Strand Theatre, one of the stops on the film trail and the place where part of Soul Men was filmed starring Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac. Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover and representing Bossier City Pam Glorioso, City Project Coordinator, will kick the news conference off.
"The Shreveport-Bossier Film Trail project is an on-going project that will allow film buffs and visitors to go first-hand where the films were shot and experience the many fantastic locations that we have in Bossier City and Shreveport," according to Mayor Lorenz Walker.
Since 2005, filming has become a major industry in Shreveport-Bossier. In total, some 72 movie and TV productions were filmed in the area. In 2009, 13 movie and TV productions with budgets totaling $95 million are currently shooting or have already been produced at various locations. These productions have utilized 13,015 hotel/motel rooms and employed some 842 crew members.
Just this year, Movie Maker Magazine ranked the area #4. The state tax incentives have been very successful. But the diverse look of the cities is important to producers. Shreveport-Bossier can easily be Anywhere, World. It’s been recreated as Paris, France; New York City; and even Senegal, Africa.
In addition, the Shreveport-Bossier Film Office has a reputation for making production easy with full city government support on both sides of the Red River, streamlined paperwork and permit processing.
The curiosity has been so great about the film industry. "Visitors want to go where the films were shot," said Stacy Brown, Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau president. "We saw this film trail as an opportunity to help visitors and the local residents discover many great places throughout Shreveport-Bossier, while also taking in the filming sites."
"The Film Trail is just another great way to encourage more tourists to visit Shreveport-Bossier to showcase our great locations as our area continues to gain popularity as a major film production hub," said Mayor Glover.
The tourist bureau created the trail in partnership with the film office and produced the brochures that will be distributed to visitors through the visitor centers locally and regionally to hotels, restaurants and attractions.
"We get calls from locals and tourists asking about certain movies and their locations," said Arlena Acree, Shreveport’s Director of Film, Media, and Entertainment. "Now we can say we have an official tour."
Some of the stops on the film trail include the Louisiana Boardwalk. The Cleaner was partially filmed there in 2007. That movie starred Samuel L. Jackson. Maggie’s Hanger (James Burton Rock n’ Roll Nightclub) is another stop. This site was one of the places filmed in The Guardian, one of the first major motion pictures to shoot in the area.
In total, there are 21 stops on the film trail. Brochures will be available at the three different visitor centers – business office (629 Spring Street, Shreveport), Bossier Visitor Center (100 John Wesley Blvd., Bossier) and the Shreveport Regional Airport (5103 Hollywood Ave., Shreveport).
Immediately after the news conference there will be a trolley available for a shortened tour of the film trail. News conference attendees can take the tour. However, space is limited.
For more information contact Gwen Campbell, City of Shreveport’s Media, Community & Education Relations, at 318-673-5062 or gwen.campbell@ci.shreveport.la.us.
###