Kansas Department of Commerce

TOPEKA–The film offices of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska are joining forces along with Kansas City, Mo., to better promote and market the region for film producers searching for locations to shoot movies.

The Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (CAIC) has informally partnered with the Missouri Film Office, Produce Iowa State Office of Media Production, the Nebraska Film Office and the Kansas City Film+Media Office to collaborate on ways to market the region and make it more enticing for the film industry.

“In the absence of tax credits for films or other formal financial incentives that we can use, the partnership is a way for these states to come together to make larger-scale film projects possible in this region,” said CAIC Executive Director Peter Jasso. “This is a great way for all these states and Kansas City to work together to promote the region to the film industry.”

The partnership has already assisted with the production of one film, American Honey, starring Shia LaBeouf and McCaul Lombardi, that is slated for release in 2016. The feature film was produced by award winning British director and writer Andrea Arnold and was filmed in the four-state area, including some scenes in Mission Hills.

All four states and Kansas City worked closely with the location manager for the film to scout out and provide information on places to film.

“It’s unusual to work in so many states in a short amount of time,” said Mark Jarrett, location manager for American Honey. “The Midwest is beautiful and has many varied looks. This area is totally under-seen in film and television, thus we’re hoping it will provide a unique, visual backdrop for our project. Our shoot wouldn’t have been possible in the manner we wanted to film without the support, creativity and around the clock help of these states.”

The partnership’s goal is to highlight the common assets of the Midwest area, strengthen the positive and timely delivery of location and other film services, and enhance the economic impact of each state.

For more information on the commission, contact:
Nebraska Film Office – Laurie Richards, [email protected]
Kansas City Film + Media Office – Steph Scupham, [email protected]
Produce Iowa-State Office of Media Production – Liz Gilman, [email protected]
Missouri Film Office – Andrea Sporcic Klund, [email protected]
Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission – Peter Jasso, [email protected]