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Natchez has always been a city that captures the imagination. John James Audubon reproduced its alluring landscape on canvas in 1823, the only pure landscape the famous naturalist ever produced.

Frederick Law Olmsted wrote of its river views in 1854, calling the bluff “the grand feature of Natchez.”

Mark Twain wrote fondly about its charm in his book, Life on the Mississippi, describing Natchez in 1883 as “last of the beautiful hill cities.”

Over the past 100 years, Natchez has also captured the imagination of moviegoers. It’s no wonder that, from the earliest days of the silver screen, Natchez has been host to countless motion pictures. And in recent years, thanks to Mississippi native and acclaimed filmmaker Tate Taylor, The Bluff City has been the setting for films like “Get On Up,” “Ma,” “Breaking News in Yuba County” and “Rumble in the Dark.”

Hallmark and Lifetime have made Natchez. “The Christmas Movie Capital of the South,” and celebrities like Morgan Freeman have become a regular and welcome sight along our historic byways.

All of this is great news – but the news has recently gotten even better – and BIGGER! Tate Taylor, together with Executive Producer John Norris, now bring us Mississippi’s largest and newest movie studio, Sandbox Stage on Liberty Road, nestled near the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace.

The facility is state-of-the-art, featuring the only two sound stages in Mississippi, one 75,000 square feet and the other 15,000 square feet. Also included is 12,000 square feet of office space. And the icing on the cake – Crooked Letter’s 10,000 square foot green screen stage located on High Street between Broadway and Canal Street is still very much a part of this growing presence in Natchez, what many are now calling the “Hollywood of the South.”

This is a game-changer for Natchez – and for Mississippi! With the affordability of our area, and with studio space filling up in traditional filming locations, we are well-positioned to see this industry grow.

We now have the infrastructure in place to make Natchez one of the world’s premier filming locations. We are well positioned to host productions of all sizes, from television series to silver screen blockbusters. And with our excellent overnight accommodations and fantastic restaurants and cool, southern vibe, we anticipate crew and actors alike will fall in love with Natchez and all of the wonderful amenities we have to offer. In fact many already have.

With all Tate Taylor and John Norris have done, and with support from Film Mississippi, Natchez has been growing our support base for several years.

The State of Mississippi has offered competitive tax credits, and we are hopeful these credits will be increasing. Locally, Film Natchez supports and promotes the film economy through outreach and education. Natchez Film Company offers camera equipment, sound mixing, and drone work. Our boots are on the ground, and we are ready to make Natchez the backdrop for the next production that will call us home.

Thank you, Tate and John! You’ve invested serious time, talent and resources into our city, and because of you, It’s Happening in Natchez! We have set the stage for success and growth. It is now time to say lights, camera, action!

Because Natchez Deserves More!

Dan M. Gibson is mayor of Natchez.