Mid States Film Commissions Partnership

 In Blog, Uncategorized

News Release, July 8, 2015 Kansas City, MO – Missouri Film Office, Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, Kansas City Film + Media Office, Produce Iowa-State Office of Media Production and the Nebraska Film Office.

The newly established Mid States Film Commissions Partnership is pleased to announce that American Honey, a feature film from award-winning British director/writer Andrea Arnold, filmed in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska  and Iowa over past several weeks.  The movie, starring Shia LaBeouf and McCaul Lombardi, is the British director’s first U.S.-based film. The story focuses on “a teenage girl with nothing to lose who joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she crisscrosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.”

The New York based production company, Parts and Labor Films, recently wrapped physical production throughout the Midwest.  Atypical of film production, this movie shoot in the sequence of the scenes and locations in the script.  Arnold prefers this approach for this project to keep the storyline and character delivery fresh and alive.  She also prefers a minimal crew and they travel as nomads from state to state and town to town, much like the thematic presence of the screenplay. We look forward to seeing the film sometime in 2016.

The Mid States Film Commissions Partnership is excited to host this feature project.  The challenges inherent in this style of physical production have kept the Commissions on their toes.  Working closely with the location manager and the entire team has been a must for the timeliness essential for the success of the project while on location.  Location managers and the Commissioners work closely together and must be able to not only scout and provide location information but all information essential to filming while the crew and cast sets up to shoot a particular scene. In most cases for this project, a minimum amount of prep time was available. In the absence of tax credits, this example of inter-state cooperation can make large-scale projects like these possible, providing producers with multiple resources to enhance creative freedom.

 “It’s unusual to work in so many states in a short amount of time. The Midwest is beautiful and has many varied looks. This area is totally under-seen in film and television thus we’re hoping it will provide a unique, visual backdrop for our project. Our shoot wouldn’t have been possible in the manner we wanted to film without their support, creativity, and around the clock help. Working with these four was like having an additional 8 people on the crew.  I can’t thank them enough.” – Mark Jarret, Location Manager.

The Mid States Film Commissions’ newly formed partnership is composed of seasoned professionals who understand the rhythm of the process of film and media production.  Working together, the goals of the Partnership are to highlight the common assets of the Midwest area, strengthen the positive and timely delivery of services, and enhance the economic impact of partner states, all key elements that parallel other state’s financial incentives.

For more information contact :
Kansas City Film + Media Office, Steph Scupham, SScupham@visitkc.com
Nebraska Film Office, Laurie Richards, LRichards2@neb.rr.com
Produce Iowa-State Office of Media Production, Liz Gilman, Liz.Gilman@iowa.gov
Missouri Film Office, Andrea Sporcic Klund, Andrea.Sporcic@ded.mo.gov
Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, Peter Jasso, PJasso@kansascommerce.com

 

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