Film Factory Breaks Ground
From the 2006-11-01 issue of Louisiana Film & Video Magazine
Copyright© 2006 Media Index Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.

LIFT, together with Element Films, continues to take huge steps in securing Louisiana’s film industry, making their second major announcement in the last two months. In September, the two companies announced a deal that will allow Element Films, LIFT Films, and Bart Productions to develop and fund the production of as many as 15 Louisiana-based motion pictures for theatrical distribution over the next three years.
Now they’re making way for their future production facility, the Film Factory.
In the downtown New Orleans area this past October, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco joined New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, city and state officials, members of the Louisiana film community, and LIFT Productions executives to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of the largest production studio in the state’s history.
The Film Factory is a 300,000 square-foot, world-class motion picture production studio that includes four state-of-the-art sound stages, a film training institute, and a distribution house, all under one roof. "Establishing the Film Factory is an aggressive step forward by Louisiana’s filming industry," said Blanco, "and it ensures that our state will be a major player in this industry for the long term."
The Film Factory will be owned and operated by LIFT Productions and located on 18 acres of land just west of the French Quarter, becoming the first facility in the United States to house a state-of-the-art training institute on an active motion picture studio lot.
There will also be a comprehensive, interactive, and hands-on facility that will train residents to become qualified crew members in all craft areas of the film and television industries. The courses are designed for beginners, those already in the industry seeking to advance their skills, and those looking to "cross over" into the higher paying film industry. Experienced carpenters can become skilled at set construction, architects and designers can learn the craft of set design, and hairdressers can become celebrity stylists.
"What this means is Louisiana workers will be getting the best hands-on training in the country," said LIFT CEO Malcolm Petal, "since they will be able to take what they learn in the classroom directly on to a movie set." The $185 million project was initiated in August of 2004 and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2008.
"Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the film industry was one of the fastest growing sectors of the region’s economy," said Nagin. "It was also one of the first sectors of our economy to come back after Katrina. This project symbolizes the industry’s rebirth and commitment to the city of New Orleans."
According to a recent Tulane University study, the project will create 2,253 direct jobs generating $131 million in earnings, and 1,517 indirect jobs creating an estimated $116 million in earnings. Element Films, a Los Angeles company, and LIFT formed the Louisiana-based entity that will distribute motion pictures and television movies through the distribution sector of the facility.
"The Film Factory Distribution House now gives Louisiana the opportunity to bring the heart of the film industry to the state," said LIFT COO Kimberly Anderson. "Traditionally, films produced in Louisiana have been forced to be distributed through the California and New York distributors, leaving the state out of one of the major components of the filmmaking process." LIFT is an aggressive entity of the Louisiana film industry, continually providing the state with successful productions. LIFT starts production this month in New Orleans on The Last Resort, to be followed by the production of College.