Metro Atlanta Film Summit Brings Sold-Out Crowd to Acworth for MAFS26

The Metro Atlanta Film Summit, created by the Cherokee Office of Economic Development, brought together more than 250 filmmakers and industry leaders for a day of workshops and networking.

The Metro Atlanta Film Summit (MAFS) returned March 17 to the YANMAR EVO//Center in Acworth, drawing more than 250 ticket holders — a sold-out event — representing filmmakers, industry professionals, and creative economy leaders from across the region. The summit, created and organized by the Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED), featured nearly 50 speakers across multiple sessions covering a range of topic areas.

The day was structured around breakout workshops, mainstage conversations, and curated networking opportunities. Session topics spanned acting, stunt performance, film financing, Georgia's film tax incentive, and inclusive storytelling — offering practical guidance for both emerging and established film professionals.

Headline mainstage programming included a fireside chat with Lee Thomas, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development and leader of the Georgia Film Office, alongside Craig Dominey, Camera Ready Program manager at the Georgia Film Office. A second featured panel, "Into the Upside Down: Crafting the World of Stranger Things in Georgia," brought together executive producer Iain Paterson, location managers Tony Holley and Kyle Carey, and lead sculptor Alexander Sherrod — all of whom worked on the Netflix series in the state.

Heath Tippens, president of COED, said the summit is designed to unite craft, business, and connection in a single setting. "The metro's film community is strongest when craft, business, and connection live in the same room," Tippens said. "That's exactly what MAFS delivers."

COED created MAFS as a regional convening for Georgia's entertainment industry, with the goal of nurturing talent pipelines and building cross-jurisdiction partnerships across the metro Atlanta area. The summit builds on prior regional gatherings organized by COED in support of the state's film economy.

Cherokee County has positioned itself as an active participant in Georgia's film economy, which has grown into one of the largest production markets in the world. COED's role in organizing MAFS reflects the county's broader strategy to attract and support film and digital media production activity throughout the region.