On Thursday, January 17, the Mississippi Film Office celebrated its 40th anniversary. Officially proclaimed “Mississippi Film Day” by Governor Phil Bryant, the celebration began with displays and a colorful cake in the rotunda of the State Capitol Building.

The one-of-a-kind cake, which highlighted various films shot in the state (such as “My Dog Skip,” “Walk The Line,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, “The Help” and “As I Lay Dying”), was courtesy of Campbell’s Bakery in Jackson.

The day culminated with a reception at the Governor’s Mansion where Governor Bryant, friends of the industry and staff from the Mississippi Film Office mingled and shared their thoughts about the importance and impact of the film industry in the state.

All of the fanfare was the perfect kickoff for film festival season in Mississippi. The Clarksdale Film Festival ran January 24-27.

Other upcoming festivals include:

• Oxford Film Festival, February 21-24, www.oxfordfilmfestival.com
• Crossroads Film Festival (Jackson), April 12-14, www.crossroadsfilmfestival.com
• Tupelo Film Festival, May 15-19, www.tupelofilmfestival.net

(Last year, the Crossroads Film Festival was selected as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society.)

Go to www.filmmississippi.org for more information about the film industry in Mississippi.

There is no doubt that big movie hits like The Help have a massive impact on tourism. Movies inspire tourists to totally immerse themselves in “discovering” and wanting to see the setting. Greenwood and Jackson are building Help-related tourism, and are far from finished. Visionaries in the Mississippi Legislature have been working for years supporting incentives for filmmakers to choose our state as a location. And, it's just good business. Find out more about the Mississippi Film Office.