The 39 productions that qualified for Missouri’s film incentive spent more than $33.5 million while filming in the Show-Me State in 2024.
The Missouri Film Office and the Business Opportunities Division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development today announced that the Motion Media Production Tax Credit program authorized nearly $12.4 million in production incentives for 39 projects. These included 15 narrative feature films, four documentary feature films, two narrative shorts, two documentary shorts, nine unscripted TV series, one scripted TV series pilot, one animated TV series, four commercials, and one web series.
The $33.5 million of in-state spending supported hundreds of Missouri vendors and small businesses that served the production. In addition to the monetary spend, these projects employed Missouri residents in 1,437 cast and crew positions.
Two films and two series produced in Missouri in 2024 already have premiered: Hallmark’s “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” Lifetime’s “Girl in the Garage,” A&E’s “Ozark Law,” and Max’s “Second Chance Stage.”
“Missouri has seen a marked increase in film and television production since the incentive was implemented, including several projects with budgets of more than $1 million,” says Missouri Film Office Director Andrea Sporcic Klund.
Following the Motion Media Production Tax Credit’s enactment by the Missouri Legislature, the Missouri Film Office and the Business Opportunities Division launched the program in October of 2023. First-year incentive allocations totaled $2,775,956 to one feature film and one short film. Those two projects totaled $6,948,386 in expenditures in the state of Missouri.
Combined, 2023 and 2024 saw the state authorize just over $15.1 million in incentives on more than $40 million of qualified in-state spending.
“We’re incredibly proud of the Missouri Film Office’s efforts to promote our state as a picture-perfect film location,” said Michelle Hataway, Director of the Department of Economic Development. “The Motion Media Production Tax Incentive is an effective tool in encouraging the creation of exciting, Missouri-made film projects. Every dollar spent in our state, including those related to the film industry, is strengthening our economy and helping Missourians prosper.”
The Film Office anticipates more releases this year.
“We have heard good things from producers about their experiences in Missouri,” Sporcic-Klund says. “In fact, we have already had producers come back for a second project in the short time the incentive has existed because they enjoyed filming in Missouri.”
About the Missouri Film Office
Since 1983, the Film Office has worked to develop, coordinate and market the film industry and film-related activities in Missouri. The Film Office serves as the official central point of contact for all state-wide inquiries: film, TV shows/segments, commercials, web content, and digital media production.
To learn more about the Missouri Film Office, visit MoFilm.org.
About the Missouri Department of Economic Development
The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) works to create an environment that encourages economic growth by supporting Missouri’s businesses and diverse industries, strengthening our communities, developing a talented and skilled workforce, and maintaining a high quality of life. As one team built around the customer and driven by data, DED aspires to be the best economic development department in the Midwest. Through its various initiatives, DED is helping create opportunities for Missourians to prosper.
For the latest updates on DED’s current or future programs and initiatives, visit DED’s website.