Django, Treme and how New Orleans became Hollywood South

New Orleans will have a starring role at the 2013 Academy Awards - a fitting tribute to its growing importance in the US film and television industry.

The Big Easy is earning a new nickname - the Hollywood of the South - as it becomes the third biggest centre of film production in the US behind Los Angeles and New York.

Two films up for a total of nine Oscars, Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster Django Unchained and indie sensation Beasts of the Southern Wild, were filmed in the US state of Louisiana.

Hollywood producers are drawn to the city by its rich cultural heritage but also by generous tax incentives. Louisiana offers a 30% tax credit on every production, plus an additional 5% for every local member of the cast and crew.

The BBC visited the sets of the television series Treme and the new Shirley MacLaine movie Elsa and Fred. And the BBC talked to actress Laura Cayouette, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio's sister in Django and moved from LA to what locals call Nola.

Produced by Anna Bressanin; original filming by Ilya Shnitser

Django Unchained footage courtesy of The Weinstein Company