Lights, camera, action! Beshear signs bill establishing Kentucky Film Office

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Filmmaking and showrunning opportunities are set to rise to new levels in the Commonwealth following the signature of a bill on Wednesday establishing the Kentucky Film Office (KFO).

Kentucky, like most other states, offers financial incentives to attract film and TV productions. In 2022, the industry generated $200 million in revenue for the state, on top of an estimated $128 million brought in locally from all the extra spending these productions bring, like dining or set construction. Industry leaders believe a state film office would help make those numbers bigger.

SB 1 passed unanimously during its initial vote on March 4 and passed with a 77-8 vote 10 days later before being signed Wednesday.

The KFO will increase the workforce in local and regional film production with training programs while also marketing the Bluegrass as a film location.

“The film office will serve as the hub for marketing, industry coordination, workforce development, and solidifying Kentucky’s position as an attractive destination for feature film production,” Sen. Phillip Wheeler (R-Pikeville) told lawmakers in February.

The office will work in tandem with the Kentucky Film Leadership Council, also established in the bill, which will consist of seven members to help strategize industry-related decisions. This will reportedly be done in partnership with the Cabinet for Economic Development, the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet, and the Education and Labor Cabinet.

The law officially establishing the Kentucky Film Office goes into effect July 1.