When you think of movie-making cities, it’s usually Los Angeles and New York that come to mind. Put Kansas City on that list.
MovieMaker magazine named Kansas City as one of the best places to live and work if you’re a movie maker—for the fifth year in a row. The trade publication ranked Kansas City number 24 coming in ahead of Orlando and Fort Worth.
“Kansas City has spectacular locations, from the 18th & Vine Jazz District to the suburbs to the beautiful Art Deco buildings to gorgeous lakes, as well as miles and miles of caves and natural tunnels that are ideal for filming—or storage,” says Tim Molloy, editor-in-chief of MovieMaker. “Kansas City does a remarkable job of attracting high-profile productions considering Missouri’s lack of tax incentives for filmmakers.”
Notable news in the Kansas City film scene in 2022 included the start of filming The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning a Peacock show from Amy Poehler and the makers of Queer Eye, plus West Bottoms, a short film that was filmed in Kansas City and attracted national attention for the Kansas City setting. In 2023, the KC Film Office is providing production support for 18 film projects, including assisting filmmaker Marisa Grade with her film Penance.
“It is an honor to have Kansas City listed as one of the best places to live and work as a movie maker in MovieMaker magazine, but to be voted this distinction for the fifth year in a row is truly humbling,” says Stephane Shannon, director of the KC Film Office. “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of not only the filmmakers that live and work here but also the support the city of Kansas City provides to the movie industry on a local level.”