Home Movies: KC Film’s new lead Rachel Kephart wants Hollywood to set up shop in the Heartland

Photo Courtesy of Netflix / Christopher Smith

When The Pitch last covered the state of filmmaking in Missouri, the regional industry was in a hopeful-if-unsettled space.

Photo Courtesy of Rachel Kephart

Kansas City, which offered financial incentives to productions interested in shooting here, was starting to draw outside attention from outside productions thanks in part to its starring role in season two of Netflix’s Queer Eye. However, the lack of incentives at the state level made it difficult to compete for filming projects.

That changed last July, when Gov. Mike Parson signed a tax incentive program into law that provides a 20% tax credit for qualifying expenses—money spent in Missouri—exceeding $50,000 for productions under 30 minutes in length—i.e. short films—and exceeding $100,000 for productions over thirty minutes—TV and features. If a production meets certain prerequisites, there’s the possibility of earning even further tax credits.

After nine years of being the only city in the country to offer local filming incentives without a statewide program to back us up, Kansas City is on the film production radar in ways it’s never been before. 

In other words, it’s an exciting time to be running the Kansas City Film Office.

“If a story is set in Kansas City, it can be filmed here now in ways that make sense to the industry,” Rachel Kephart, the new director of KC’s film office, says. “It’s great that Kansas City can make more business sense.”  

Even more than bringing in outside business, the additional incentives help filmmakers with local ties, and those who live here, get the resources they need.

“What I’ve been most excited to see is our local talent that are leveraging incentives to develop their projects here,” she says. “There are lots of people who have connections to larger markets, and up to now, they couldn’t fight to bring their projects here. Now, they have financial leverage they need to make projects happen at home. Outside projects boost our economy, but ultimately they empower our local crew as well.”

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Kephart took over the role from longtime Kansas City Film Office Director Steph Shannon, who departed at the end of last year after helping re-establish the office in 2014. Kephart comes to the position with an impressive resume—first working with the film office as an intern, which led to a three year tenure as a full-time employee, gaining experience as head of department on projects like American Ninja Warrior, Temptation Island and the TLC show Love & Translation.

“It was a great mentorship opportunity,” Kephart says. “I got to sit in on any meetings I wanted to. It was an opportunity to see what it takes to bring production to a new city you haven’t worked in, and helped me understand what a large scale production needs from a community  and a film commissioner.”  

Those years of experience hopping between Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Hawaii (among other places) also helped Kephart make a lot of useful connections, and develop a passion to help local filmmakers and talent build sustainable careers here, rather than having to leave to follow their dreams.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

“I want Kansas City to be a place where aspiring filmmakers and crew feel they can build a sustainable career without feeling they need to leave to gain experience in other markets. I’ve been lucky enough to see people I used to be a PA with become a director of photography, or directing, taking on pivotal roles,” Kephart says. “To see them be successful and see the industry become sustainable enough for them to be successful here is something I take a great deal of pride in.”

The other part of her new job she loves? Showing off how hospitable and accessible Kansas City is. “It’s one of my favorite things, working with a production and seeing their reactions to how welcoming this place is—not just the city and the film community, but all the industries that are willing to be part of something and pitch in because they know it’s good for the city,” Kephart says. “It’s great to be in the middle of all that.” 

There are a few places Kephart shows off in the region, noting that the visual diversity between rural farmland, suburban Kansas City and neighborhoods like Brookside and The Plaza are a particular strength—productions that need a variety of locations can find them here without having to go very far.

“We have these unique, eclectic, specific neighborhoods. I do my best to take them everywhere to scout locations,” Kephart says. “We go to 18th and Vine and the West Bottoms, where things just look different.”

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Nearing a year since statewide filming incentives were signed into law, Kephart has already had plenty of opportunities to show the city off to visiting productions. Kephart says the city has already hosted a reality series. At the time we spoke, two feature films were actively shooting in the area using the new incentives. Three more features were planned to come to the area to film before September. “We’re busy in a really good way,” she says.

Associate Professor for Film and Media Studies at UMKC and Dean for Undergraduate Programs at the University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences Caitlin Horsmon, was Kephart’s advisor while she was a student there. Horsmon says the skills Kephart displayed during her undergraduate years are already serving her well in her new role. “We’re so proud at UMKC that Rachel Kephart is our next Kansas City Film Office director,” she says. “I know she’ll bring the excellent leadership, incredible work ethic and talent she showed as a student to her new role. Rachel’s passion for the city and filmmaking will undoubtedly brighten the national spotlight on the talented professionals and opportunities for production in Kansas City.”

Kephart says that core of local filmmakers, casting directors, designers and other industry professionals have helped her provide skilled workers to the productions that come here. That community has plenty of experience pulling together to make things happen.

“There are people who have had to be that support system for themselves for a while,” she says. “The two projects filming here now have local ties, and the people who are working on them know this city. They tap me when they need help, I reach out,” she says. “We have proficient professional and self-sufficient crew here that make my job immensely easier.”

Photo Courtesy of Netflix / Eve Dastmalchian

Kephart’s goals for the position are in keeping with building that local talent base, and generating jobs that keep industry professionals employed long-term. “I want to attract a narrative series to Kansas City because those have an incredible potential for longevity, something that translates to consistent work year over year,” she says. “The core goal isn’t a big project so much as a sustainable local industry.”

The other long-term goal is one that will grow in importance as—hopefully—the city continues to attract bigger productions: workforce development.

“As we get busier, one of the challenges is that we’ll have to grow our workforce,” Kephart says. “As more projects are here, and as demand grows for talent, I want to help strengthen programs at university level and develop apprenticeship programs so we can create hands-on learning experiences for young people who want to get involved.” 

All of this, Kephart says, points to a potentially exciting future for the area, and those residents trying to pursue careers in filmmaking.

“Kansas City is the ultimate host city. We’re accessible, we’re financially accessible, and hospitable,” she says. “All of that put together with financial incentives puts us on track to become the next major industry hub in the Midwest.”