Georgia Production Partnership’s (GPP) virtual membership meeting was held on April 7th as the organization’s first of many for the upcoming months. The meeting was streamed over Facebook, YouTube and on the GPP website with Peter Stathopoulos, GPP government relations chair, as the moderator. Stathopoulos moderated the conversation and spoke with GPP lobbyist Lewis Massey, GA Film Office’s Lee Thomas and Allen Fox, PhD psychologist Alduan Tartt and the executive director of Film Impact Georgia (FIG) Molly Coffee.

During the conversation, Coffee spoke about access to resources to uplift creatives during this time by reminding them to “take advantage of opportunity in crisis.” There are many platforms offering access to resources, like Sundance Collab opening their online masterclasses for free and FIG having their #AskAProAnything live series with Georgia-based film industry professionals.

Dr. Tartt offered tips for reducing anxiety during the pandemic, including suggestions to help maintain healthy routines during the stay-at-home order. “It’s more important than anything to practice self care during this time. For those who are natural list checkers and need a daily routine to stay balanced, finding your purpose will keep you grounded. So whether it is taking a walk in the morning to get a dose of nature or repurposing those skills you have lost sight of in the next few weeks, maintaining a self-curated schedule for what works best for you will be key.”

“GPP’s first virtual meeting was a huge success,” Co-President Trish Taylor stated. “I’m so proud of our entire Georgia entertainment community reaching out in support to help one another during this unprecedented health crisis. I’m especially proud of our dedicated volunteer team of the GPP board, chair members and our partners who have worked so hard to gather the resource information on our website to assist our severely impacted community. Special thanks to Dosa Kim at GOMA Pro for making streaming the vital information from our industry panelists possible.”