DONALDSONVILLE - With "Sinners" 16 nominations at the Oscars and four wins on Sunday, those in the film industry said the movie is proof there is success in shooting movies in Louisiana.

LSU students Dante and Devin Dotey both worked as extras in the film. Their scenes were shot in Bogalusa and New Orleans. Dante Dotey said the brothers can be seen in the movie's railroad scene. WBRZ spoke to the brothers in April 2025 about being in the movie. Since then, the Doteys said it has been meaningful to watch the attention on the film grow.

"Thinking back two years ago, when we shot the movie, we didn't think it was going to be as big as it was. Back then, it was called 'Grilled Cheese,' and we just thought it was something small, until we watched it blow up," Dante Dotey said.

"Sinners" also spent several days in 2024, shooting in Donaldsonville on Railroad Avenue, which was turned into a Jim Crow-era Mississippi town.

"Smalltown, U.S.A., here in Louisiana, became a really hotbed of activity. With a lot of spending and a lot of opportunity in Donaldsonville," said Jason Waggenspack, the president of Film Louisiana.

Film Louisiana, a non-profit supporting and lobbying for the film tax credit program in the state, said it is seeing a steady increase in business trickling back in. Waggenspack shared there are seven different television shows shooting in Louisiana right now. He estimated "Sinners" spent around $70,000,000 in the state. He added changes to film incentives in 2016, combined with the pandemic and strikes, slowed down the industry.

In June 2025, Governor Jeff Landry signed Act 44, which gave Louisiana Economic Development more flexibility when it comes to negotiating with film and television projects.

"We're starting to see more pictures come back to the U.S. You're seeing the rise of indies in the United States is really great to see," Waggenspack said.

Devin Dotey said, it is clear to him, Louisiana is a top option when it comes to shooting movies.

"Y'all see what it can do if you shoot a movie in Louisiana, literally the embrace of it all," he said.