This week, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced $10 million of grant funding for three organizations to build or update their film studios. The money comes from the Illinois Soundstage Capital Grant Program.
Fresh Films provides free production training for teenagers and young adults. It received a total of $3.8 million.
Kelly Feigley, co-founder and director of Fresh Films, says the money will go towards building a $12 million studio.
"The studio will really be, when it's finished, four sound stages," Feigley said. "So these are those boxes, about 18,000 square feet a piece. We will start with two and then expand to four across the grant. In addition to the studio, there's also additional spaces, which they call production support spaces. And that's spaces like a mill where they are constructing the set, so picture a scene shop."
The grant will cover about 35% of the studio's cost. Feigley hopes the studio brings more filmmakers and opportunities for economic development to the Quad Cities.
"So bringing a big production to this part of the state, to not only film in awesome locations, farms, beautiful riverfronts, and historic homes," Feigley said. "But now have the studio infastructure to bring big productions here is just so exciting."
Fresh Films is still looking for a place to build the studio. The organization hopes to start construction next year.