Quarterly meeting to also feature recent activity and upcoming opportunities. 

The Columbus Film Office announced that Director Bill Wages and Producer Stratton Leopold of “The Neon Highway” will be the featured speakers at their next quarterly meeting. The meeting will be held at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts on June 5th from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. These events connect entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses from Georgia and beyond and provide an opportunity to share information about activity in the region. (RSVP here.)

“We are honored to have Bill and Stratton share with our community about their experience shooting the film in Columbus. Between the two, they have an impressive resume of film production in Georgia and beyond,” said Joel Slocumb, Columbus Film Commissioner. “We look forward to hearing more about their time in Columbus and ways we can continue to be a premier location for filmmakers around the globe.”

“The Neon Highway” was shot almost entirely in Columbus in the spring of 2021 at the height of the pandemic. Scenes were shot at local establishments including residences, local bars and Columbus State University.

Stratton Leopold began his longstanding career in filmmaking as an actor, casting director, assistant director, location manager and production manager, working with many of Hollywood’s renowned directors and actors on a host of blockbuster movies. His later credits include producer, co-producer, supervising producer, and executive producer on major feature films, including “Mission impossible 3,” “The Sum of All Fears,”  “The  General’s Daughter,” “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen,” “The Rose and the Jackal,” “The Big One,” “Blood In, Blood Out,”  “Born Yesterday,” and others. He also served as an executive vice president at Paramount Studios.

William Wages, Director and ASC ,has directed and shot documentaries, commercials, television series, and second units on feature films. He has worked as a cinematographer on more than 80 feature films and television movies, including “The Forgiven” for Roland Joffe, starring Forest Whitaker and Eric Bana; Maya Angelou’s “Down in the Delta”; and the Spielberg-produced mini -series “Into the West”; and “Yellowstone” with Kevin Costner. He has been nominated for two national Emmys and eight ASC Awards, (American Society of Cinematographer), winning two. He was also honored with the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award.

The meeting will be facilitated by the Columbus Film Office. The purpose of the meeting is to gather stakeholders in the entertainment industry in one place to hear about Columbus’ film and entertainment business and learn from industry experts.

The event is for local government leaders, business owners, and industry professionals. This event will begin at 3:00 PM and end promptly at 5:00 PM on June 5th. The event is free, but attendees must RSVP as space is limited.  RSVP here.