Acadiana a natural for film industry Last August one of the leading film industry magazines, for a change, ranked Louisiana first in something. Film producers voted the state No. 1 as a place to make movies outside of California. We agree with that assessment, and apparently so do some others. Opelousas native Jonathan Sebastien, a partner in the Maxim Film and Television team, is joining with Big Chief Entertainment to try to make Louisiana a major center for film and television.

UL's plan to offer a bachelor's degree in cinema studis could be the critical link in the city's plans to lure the entertainment industry here.

In June, City-Parish President Joey Durel announced the city would start an entertainment initiative and tapped local actor Marcus Brown to lead it.