Kansas City’s film scene is the nation’s rising star as productions follow the incentives

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - If you haven’t seen them already, you can expect more film crews to show up in Kansas City as the area becomes a valuable part of the nation’s film industry.

It’s been a little over a year since Missouri ed the Show MO Act. It’s a tax credit program for film producers, giving them up to 42 percent of their money back on projects filmed in the state.

This incentive isn’t new. After state-sponsored film credits fell away in the early 2000s, Kansas City’s film scene fell away. Since its reinstatement in 2023, however, there’s been a resurgence.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Roll the credits: Show MO Act renews filmmaking push in Missouri

“When Missouri finally ed the tax credit, almost immediately, we saw an uptick in interest from the broader industry. It was pretty incredible,” said Rachel Kephart, director of Kansas City’s Film Office.

Since Show Mo’s enactment, 12 major film projects have been shot in Kansas City.

From the industrial looks of the West Bottoms to the scenic looks of the Country Club Plaza, the area has a lot to offer filmmakers — but so does the City’s tax credit incentive. Kansas City has its own 10 percent tax credit that can be stacked with Missouri’s, offering up to a total of 52 percent in incentives.

Kephart pointed to this as a major reason for Kansas City’s film successes thus far.

“We’ve had projects that we pulled away from [New Jersey,] from Canada, from Kentucky,” she said. “These projects are excited by Missouri and the tax credit. They’re excited by the diversity of locations, our accessibility, [and] our crew base is really strong.”

Of the 39 “Made in Missouri” films that used the State’s tax credit program, Kephart reported that 60 percent of them were filmed in Kansas City.

“My office last year ed an estimated $20 million in direct economic impact to the greater Kansas City area,” she continued.

The first production to take advantage of this dual credit was “Second Chance Stage,” a Magnolia Network talent competition series filmed in 2024. The finale was held at the historic Midland Theatre and gave Kansas City a chance to shine.

“They hired hundreds of locals, and it was a really exciting experience,” Kephart said.

A newer Kansas City production is “In Plain Sight,” a proposed prequel to Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel, “Brave New World.”

The crew finished filming the story’s two-and-a-half-minute trailer in late April. It is now in post-production and will ultimately be pitched to studio executives with hopes of being greenlit as a major motion picture.

Thomas Rex, writer, director and producer of “In Plain Sight,” said measures like Show MO have major impacts on filmmakers’ decisions.

“Incentives really have become the name of the game in the film industry,” Rex explained.

“Outside of kind of the top five cities in the United States for film production, I think Kansas City is right up there,” he continued.

Another added benefit to Kansas City’s success is that local film students and professionals have the opportunity to pursue their interests at home.

William J. York is an “In Plain Sight” crew member and actor, playing the titular character, Henry Foster. He grew up in Kansas City but left to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, California.

York is back for “In Plain Sight” and argues Kansas City’s burgeoning film industry might just be sweeter than the competition.

“I think we are the golden apple on this apple tree.”

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