Lexington, Kentucky Seeking Productions Of Up To $10 Million With State Tax Credit

Lexington’s convention and visitor’s bureau has just launched Film Lexington, a team and resource hub led by Hollywood marketing exec Lisa Brin to promote Kentucky’s incentive program launched in 2022 and help producers on the ground.

The Kentucky Entertainment Incentive offers fully refundable production tax credits of 30% to 35% with an annual state cap of $75 million and project cap of $10 million. The Lexington area saw production rise in 2023 despite the strike and continued to add projects this year, says Brin, a Kentucky native.

The state program had about $15 million left last year and about $13 remains so far in 2024 with about 19 projects approved for Lexington and Central Kentucky — 12 film and seven television. Over the last eight months, the region supported about 30 projects. “There is interest … and we haven’t even officially started to market and promote,” Brin tells Deadline.

FilmLEX wants to develop the area into a thriving film and entertainment production hub for features and TV projects between $1 million to $10 million.

“That is really our sweet spot … that one to ten,” says Brin, who has worked on feature campaigns with Disney, Universal Pictures and DreamWorks.

It’s a complicated time with TV production well off its highs, indie film challenged and projects moving overseas, a trend accelerated by the strikes. Tax incentives are usually the main consideration for producers, the crews. “We wanted to set up the region and the city of Lexington for achievable success so that we really delivered, and we felt that was a really good place to start.”

The state is known for its rolling horse country and great bourbon, “but there really is so much more,” she said. The official announcement of FilmLEX calls Lexington “a modern, mid-size city rich in history and resources for the filmmaking community. The area boasts abundantly diverse landscapes and real-life backdrops that serve as a façade for any genre — from bustling, urban cityscapes to quaint small towns frozen in time; and from rolling bluegrass hills and lush forests to castles, battlefields and abandoned rickhouses [used to store bourbon]. Lexington’s four seasons create mood and personality all year round with best-in-class hospitality and a warm and welcoming spirit.”

Local celebrities Steve Zahn and Rich Gomez, who founded Macaroni Art Productions in Midway just outside of Lexington, created, produced and starred in a video urging filmmakers to check it out. “You can film anything here,” Zahn says, as the two shoot bits of various genres from an Irish drama to a horror.  

“Across the board, we are seeing record-breaking investment and growth, and it is no surprise that Kentucky’s film and television industry is sharing in that success,” said Gov. Andy Beshear, who was on Democratic presidential candidate Kamana Harris’ VP short list. “Partners like VisitLEX are helping to show the world that great things are happening here in the commonwealth, and the creation of FilmLEX proves entertainment production will be a big part of our growing economy.”

Infrastructure includes new LEX Studios, a 50,000 square foot facility with three sound stages; Wrigley Media Group, a full-service, public-use production space; Arri certified film school Asbury University’s 52,000-square-foot mixed-use production complex; and Studio46 Media’s studio, and what Brin called “a budding crew base.”

“We are so much more than meets the eye, and really supportive. Ultimately, it starts with the incentives, and then look at everything we have to offer,” says Brin.