Smyrna's Ready For Its Close-Up: Council Passes Film Ordinance

Move over Hollywood, Smyrna is the industry’s newest film destination. Smyrna City Council voted 7-0 Monday to approve the addition of a filming ordinance to the city’s code of ordinances.

The ordinance serves as a guideline for production companies interested in filming inside city limits. City Administrator Eric Taylor said it “would allow the city to coordinate street closures and security services while protecting neighborhoods from the impact of film production.”

In recent years, Smyrna has become a destination for production companies looking for an alternative to a Hollywood location. Films like Joyful Noise and The Watch both include scenes filmed in Smyrna.

“This is something that frankly I think the people in the film industry when they shop around they expect to have a process like this,” said Ward 3 Council Representative Teri Anulewicz. “I think it’s wonderful because it really streamlines how things work when there is filming whether it’s small or large, but especially when it’s something major like The Watch that was filmed in Ward 3 last year. It streamlines it so you have everyone on the same page. Everyone’s communicating and everyone knows what’s going on.”

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