SIUE Joins Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to Break Ground on Hollywood River Studios

SIUE Joins Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to Break Ground on Hollywood River Studios

Mass Communications Department Receives Second Grant to Continue Film and TV Workforce Training Program

On Monday, October 5, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Kevin Leonard, PhD, Mass Communications Chair Suman Mishra, PhD, the Department's veteran broadcast engineer Theresa Pauli joined Gov. JB Pritzker at Hollywood River Studios' groundbreaking ceremony in Wood River. The Governor, local legislators and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) led the inaugurate commemoration of Metro East's new premier production facility. The state of Illinois recently reported reaching a record-breaking high in film production expenditures of $703 million in 2025, supporting an estimated 18,000 industry hires. SIUE, the recipient of an Illinois Film and TV Workforce Training Program DCEO grant now two years in a row, launched a Film and TV Workforce Training Program to prepare Illinois media professionals. With this new development, newly trained production crews will soon have access to a world-class studio projected to create more than 1,000 jobs, with each production generating 300-500 temporary jobs and opportunities for local crew, vendors, and contractors.

"The Department of Mass Communications and the College of Arts and Sciences are very excited about having a production studio so close to SIUE's Edwardsville campus. The Department of Mass Communications already trains many students who end up working in film and media production, and this will make it easier for students to move directly into good-paying jobs without having to leave the Metro East," said Dean Leonard.

"We did 80 hours of training for three cohorts last year. We have received that grant again this year, so we will be running that workforce training again in February, March, and May," said Mishra.

The Illinois Film and TV Workforce Training Program grant supports training of community members, beyond students enrolled at SIUE. Pauli is one of the veteran industry professionals supporting the training program along with Tom Atwood and Cory Byers, MFA.

"The grant opened the door to people from our community who may not have the resources to attend a training like this. The creativity and drive of the folks who took part was inspiring. What has been really rewarding is to see many of the trainees continue to work with each other and the industry pros who came in to be a part of the training on projects. It really expanded the number of people we are able to serve," said Pauli.

Upon completion of 80 hours of training, while earning a stipend, participants are workforce-ready for entry level roles as production assistants.

Mishra adds, "It's a great opportunity for us to build this connection with the Hollywood River Studios, President and CEO Chris Breakwell, and his team."

The studio will house six state-of-the-art, scalable sound stages, offering versatile production spaces equipped with the advanced acoustics, lighting, and infrastructure needed to attract high-profile projects to Illinois and accommodate the state's growing film and television industry.

"Last year, Illinois had more than $700 million in film and television production spending: real dollars going to Illinois businesses and workers, supporting our economy," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Hollywood River Studios is adding an important piece to that ecosystem, projecting hundreds of permanent jobs once the development is fully built out, and hundreds more as the campus is developed. That means more people working in the entertainment industry without having to leave the region to tell their stories."

"Television and film have found a home in Illinois, and the industry growth into the Metro East is an exciting development," said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. "Hollywood River Studios will be a huge economic driver in the region, all while supporting our ever-growing arts community."

"I am extremely excited to bring this investment to the state of Illinois and the city of Wood River," said Breakwell. "Because of the foresight of Governor Pritzker and the backing of the state legislature, we have a chance to build on an already booming film industry in Illinois. The enhanced film tax credits allow us to make the commitment and investment in the region and make Illinois a destination for all things media."

According to DCEO Director Kristin Richards, the Illinois Film Office's competitive tax credit and innovative first-in-the-nation sustainability incentive "were essential to Hollywood River Studios' decision to choose Illinois for its state-of-the-art production facility."

As part of the State's efforts to help diversify the film industry outside of Chicago while boosting economic and workforce development across Illinois, the expanded Illinois Film Production Tax Credit offers a 5% additional credit on Illinois resident salaries for productions filming outside of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties.

Photos by Howard Ash