A newly formed effort to grow the visual media industry in St. Louis will award $500,000 in grants to film and TV creators in its first year.
The St. Louis Film Project is a partnership between the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and Continuity, a local nonprofit that offers training and other programs for aspiring and early-career professionals in media. It also seeks to link new talent with established forces in the industry who are based in St. Louis.
A selection committee composed of representatives from Continuity and RAC, plus local industry professionals, will award up to seven grants that could be as large as $100,000. The program is funded in its first year by ARPA monies allocated by RAC. Organizers hope to attract additional funders for future years. The St. Louis Film Project will also organize networking events, Q&A sessions and film screenings.
“We have the opportunity to really do something great here and set some people up to do great things coming out of St Louis, and that could be very powerful,” said Michael D. Francis, a locally based reality TV producer, Continuity board member and member of the grant selection committee. “St Louis is a really good place for someone that is just starting out trying to get their feet wet and figure out what they want to do inside of the film and television and media space.”
Applications are open through Nov. 15, and grants will be awarded by Jan. 24. Recipients must live in the city of St. Louis and spend at least 75% of the grant funds here. The money could go toward a brand-new original project or to help finish one that is already in process.
The effort comes amid an enhanced focus on building up the local film and TV industry. The St. Louis Film Office, a project of the tourism booster Explore St. Louis, hired its first full-time office manager in June. Last year, state legislators passed an act that created the first tax credits for Missouri-based film projects in a decade. Filmmakers can receive a 50% tax credit, up to $8 million. The program is capped at $16 million a year.
“I think that elected officials, civic and business leaders are seeing that media production in general provides great economic benefit to the region,” said Vanessa Cooksey, president and CEO of RAC. ”I just see genuine interest in supporting a growing media industry here.”
The time is long past when moving to Hollywood with a bus ticket and a dream offered the best chance to crack into show business. The trend is for more production work to happen outside of Hollywood, industry professionals say, and tax-credit programs in Georgia and Louisiana have been particularly successful in luring producers.
Many St. Louis film and TV creators and workers want to position their city as one of the next hot spots.
“If you are a crew member or a creator, I would totally encourage staying local,” said Cameron Purcell, a member of the selection committee.
Purcell has worked as an executive in film, TV and gaming, with credits including “Jurassic World” and “Minions.” He recently relocated to St. Louis, where his wife’s family lives.
Someone aspiring to work on the executive side of the business would still do well to move to Los Angeles, he said, but otherwise it’s become a better option to live somewhere with a more reasonable cost of living and build up a professional network there.
“The more you know your scene and the more you know you know your friends and you network locally to help you make that first project, I think that is way more beneficial than dropping yourself in as a fish out of water in Los Angeles,” Purcell said.
