Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City is ending 2025 with a lot of energy, pride, and an increasing spotlight on its creative center. Mayor Quinton Lucas said that the city’s growing position in the entertainment industry has brought in more than $24 million to the local economy. This was another historic year for local film production. The Kansas City Film Office says that the numbers are for movies, TV shows, and commercials that were finished between January and October.
This success didn’t happen overnight. Kansas City has been slowly creating a filmmaking identity over the past ten years. This is thanks to policies, incentives, and a culture that encourages storytellers. Mayor Lucas talked enthusiastically about that long-term commitment, saying that municipal incentive programs are no longer just ideas, but real things. There are new jobs. Small firms are getting new jobs.
“Over the past decade, Kansas City has built one of the most dynamic local film industries in the country,” said Mayor Lucas. “Our incentive programs are creating real jobs, as well as driving business growth in the community. We’re excited to continue strengthening Kansas City’s reputation as a national hub for creative talent and storytelling.”
The city’s film incentive program has been a big part of that expansion. Now that it’s eight years old, it still uses private expenditure on a much bigger scale than the refunds it gives out. Recent numbers show that $8 million went in direct production spending in exchange for just over $500,000 in City rebates. Officials think that ratio is one of the best ways to measure success: a small investment that leads to an obvious economic benefit. Rachel Kephart, who runs the Kansas City Film Office, said that every project is worth more than the time it spends on screen. Productions affect hotels, local businesses, skilled workers, and a lot of small services.
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Since Missouri brought back its state incentive in 2023, interest in the industry has only grown. Kansas City is now one of the most competitive places in the country for filming because it has assistance from both the state and the city. That advantage is visible in the production list alone: more than 15 major projects filmed in the last two years, including 11 feature-length movies and three television series with national audiences.
Kansas City places have already been shown on TVs all around the country. Ted Lasso, which was recorded in and around the city, is coming out on Apple TV+. Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story was the most popular cable movie of 2024 and featured well-known local landscape. Hallmark releases “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas,” which was mostly made in the metro area.
As 2026 gets closer, Kansas City is not only a place to film movies, but also a place where production skill is developing. Every new initiative contributes to the creative workforce and the economy every year. Mayor Lucas termed it a milestone that was based on community investment, opportunity, and the idea that the greatest way to tell Kansas City’s narrative is from inside the city itself.
