Local production company films movie in Collier County

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WINK News

Cameras will be roaming around Collier County as ITZ Media films a new movie.

Director and writer Tony Schweikle, who is originally from Southwest Florida, picked a Collier County production company to film the movie called “Rum and Hot Peppers” in an effort to support local business.

“The story is about two money hungry people who start a fake voodoo cult and entice people to become members, and they throw parties on the weekends out in the Everglades,” Schweikle said.

Schweikle says they expect to spend around $500,000 on the film — money that will be circulating in the county.

“The economics of film production — we spend money everywhere, at this restaurant, at Lowes, material, we buy clothes,” Schweikle said.

Collier County commissioner Penny Taylor hopes to see the area used in show business more often.

“It puts the county in front of the world and that’s what is important,” Taylor said. “To have the support of our local businesses, restaurants, so many suffered after Irma, people coming and enjoying and using what we have, that’s what we’re about.”

Georgia is currently attracting big budget films. The economic impact there was more than $9 billion for 2017.

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