Now showing: film in KC

By LONITA COOK

There’s nothing more electrifying than KC’s industry of lights, camera, action.

Steph Shannon, film & new media director at the Kansas City Film Office, is a careful custodian over the ever-blossoming KC film industry. Her role is straightforward: grow film in Kansas City.

“Love of film and the film community is prevalent [here], as evidenced by the surprising number of productions I work with through KC Film Office each year.”

Steph leads us to cinema’s sanctuary — the moviehouse. “Local theaters like Screenland [Armour Theatre] give us access to the best indie films,” she says.

“[KC film] is a strong, prosperous community that helps lift each other up to create the best possible films,” says Adam Roberts, owner and programmer of Screenland. He notes Screenland’s special role as a “community-driven theater offering the most diverse lineup of films you’ll find in the region.”

Since 1996, local filmmakers have also had the opportunity to showcase their films on the big screen at KC FilmFest International. As the festival has grown to include films from around the country and the world, 30 to 40 KC films are still presented each year.

KC film extends beyond the region’s borders and even beyond entertainment. Mama.film, a nonprofit based in Wichita, Kansas, “brings together storytellers and audiences to champion humanity through a maternal gaze, centering stories that foster empathy, identity and the human experience,” says founder and executive director, Lela MeadowConner. The organization helped bring the Sundance Film Festival to Lawrence, located in the KC area, in 2022 — one of only seven “Satellite Screens” in the country, and the only one not located on a coast.

And the silver screen isn’t the only thing on the rise in KC — the small screen is, as well. Several shows have been filmed in KC in the last few years, including “Queer Eye,” “Bargain Mansions” and the new Amy Poehler-produced show, “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.”

KC RANKS AS A “BEST PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK AS A MOVIE MAKER"

- MOVIEMAKER, 2022