Holiday movie becomes latest to film in St. Joseph
By Kendra Simpson
A tax incentive is helping to bring a little bit of Hollywood to St. Joseph.
The Show MO Motion Media Tax incentive, which provides a credit for productions that film in Missouri, has had a hand in bringing two movie crews to the city this year. The movie “25 Miles to Normal” was shot here earlier this year, and come this winter, residents will have a chance to be involved in the production of “A Chrismystery,” which will be filming in St. Joseph and Savannah.
”A Chrismystery” revolves around a small town getting its holiday decorations stolen, and it’s up to the locals to track down the culprit.
”They had a screenwriter who was already working on a Christmas script based on a small town and when he got connected with the (“25 Miles to Normal”) producers, they said ‘We have a town in mind,’” Christian Mengel, director of marketing and communication for the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, said. “Our town specifically is a little larger than what they’re looking for. Our thinking was ‘Well, if they film in Savannah, they’ll be staying in St. Joseph and we’ve got plenty of holiday attractions.’”
The movie’s origin story is not typical of most productions. Normally, a filming location is chosen to work cohesively with the completed script, but in this case, St. Joseph was chosen not because it fit the script, but because of the community and several holiday tourist attractions.
”When they learned about what we have, you know, whether it’s our Downtown or holiday parks or the historic stuff like Candy Cane Lane,” Mengel said. “We have quite a lot of holiday and Christmas cheer for a town our size. I think it just says a lot about our community that we’re able to get out there and say ‘Hey, we’re inviting, we’re film friendly, come make your art here.’”
The film will have several paid cast and crew opportunities available, including for speaking roles and a set teacher. Those interested in crew positions can send resumes to AChrismysteryMovie2024@gmail.com. Those interested in speaking roles should submit their resume and headshots online at actorsaccess.com and mention in the subject line “ST. JO LOCAL” or “SAVANNAH LOCAL” to prioritize themselves. Those who are not on that platform also can email cvb@stjomo.com for alternative audition instructions.
