Kansas City Video Production Surges Ahead This September
Kansas City video production is entering a hot streak this month, blending festival buzz with big-budget holiday magic and fresh incentives that keep cameras rolling city-wide.
Underground Festival Spotlights Indie Voices
The fifth-annual Kansas City Underground Film Festival (KCUFF) lights up Charlotte Street Foundation Sept 12-20, curating 88 genre-bending indies, live director Q&As, and nightly mixers. Festival co-founder Willy Evans says the all-free format “removes barriers for emerging voices,” while producers value the local-first programming block that screens shorts from KC-based crews.
Quick takes:
- Free admission and RSVP-optional seating
- Daily “Local Lens” showcase of KC filmmakers
- Industry brunch (Sept 14) pairing visiting distributors with Missouri creators
Hallmark Turns Downtown into a Snow Globe
Fresh off its record-setting “Holiday Touchdown,” Hallmark is back to lens an untitled Christmas romance starring Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha. Filming began Sept 8 and runs about ten days, circling Union Station, Liberty Memorial, and the Plaza’s Spanish façades. Extras casting notices promise minimum-wage pay for 12-hour shifts—welcome side gigs for students and freelancers between projects. KC Film Office estimates the shoot will spend ≈ $750K locally on lodging, craft services, and permit fees, reinforcing the city’s claim as “America’s most affordable backlot.”
More Screens & Scenes to Bookmark
- Sept 18 — “We Are Latinos” documentary premiere + talkback with Jenny Mendez (Museum of KC).
- Sep 25–27 — Universal Film Festival arrives just outside the two-week window, but badge sales close Sept 20—worth an early grab for producers eyeing international co-pros.
- Stray Cat Film Center’s “Ask Any Buddy” 16 mm retro-porn doc screens Sept 12, underscoring KC’s thriving micro-cinema scene.
Incentives Keep Crew Rosters Full
Missouri’s “Show MO Act” and Kansas City’s stackable 10 % rebate now combine for up to 52 % in savings—nation-leading figures that lured 12 major productions over the past year and pumped $20 million into the metro economy. Local leaders credit the incentives for snagging projects like the Hallmark shoot and Apple TV+’s rumored “Ted Lasso” off-season scenes in Blue Springs.
Kansas City’s fall slate proves the metro isn’t just a backdrop—it’s becoming the Midwest’s premier production partner, where indie storytellers and network juggernauts film side-by-side under Missouri’s ever-brighter studio lights.
