Sen. Landrieu 'proud' of Louisiana-filmed Oscar nominees

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) on Thursday congratulated her state on helping turn two movies into Oscar contenders.

Louisiana's film industry is giving #Hollywood a run for its money. Congrats to Hollywood South on its 2 #Oscarnoms bit.ly/Sm82Tl

— Senator Landrieu (@SenLandrieu) January 10, 2013

The Academy Award nominees, announced on Thursday, included two movies filmed in Louisiana: "Beasts of the Southern Wild," earning four nominations total, and "Django Unchained," which received three. Both are contenders for Best Picture.

Landrieu went on to congratulate individuals involved in the film, including the star of "Beasts," 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, who became the youngest nominee for Best Actress in history. Wallis was 5 when the movie was filmed.

Congrats to LA filmed #BeastsOfTheSouthernWild and 9 year old Houma native Quvenzhané Wallis on your Oscar nominations. We are very proud!

— Senator Landrieu (@SenLandrieu) January 10, 2013

Tax credit incentives and an aggressive state promotion strategy have helped turn post-Hurricane-Katrina New Orleans into an attractive shooting location for films, prompting the coining of the term "Hollywood South."

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