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Filming of 'Spaghetti Wars' on The Hill takes advantage of Missouri's remaining film tax credits

Kelly Hiatt with the St. Louis Film Office said there is still $3 million left in each 2024 tax incentive bucket split up for features and episodic projects.

ST. LOUIS — If you walked past one of The Hill's beloved delis Tuesday, it may have looked a little different. 

It's being transformed into part of the set for "Spaghetti Wars," a new food competition TV series being filmed in the neighborhood. 

Local showrunners are taking advantage of Missouri's tax incentive to make their dream production in their backyard.

Showrunner and director Tim Breitbach moved to Southampton 18 years ago from California, bringing his entertainment work closer to home.

"We love The Hill," Breitbach said. "We eat here. We shop here. We do all those things and so to be able to film here is a huge bonus. It's a love letter really."

The idea started two years ago, finally becoming a reality with this week's filming.

Show creator Pepe Kehm grew up eating in a diverse range of The Hill restaurants.

"The Italian culture is centered around food," Kehm said. "That's where everything starts for us is in the belly."

John Viviano & Sons Grocers is now getting the spotlight.  

It has "the finest meats and cheeses throughout the land," Breitbach said.

5 On Your Side can't show you the inside of the set yet. However, they'll be filming until Saturday. 

The production is working with the state of Missouri to use the tax credit reinstated last fall.

Kelly Hiatt, manager of the St. Louis Film Office said there is still $3 million left in each 2024 tax incentive bucket split up for features and episodic projects.

Then, in 2025 it resets to the annual $16 million.

"That's what it's all about," Hiatt said. "It's about getting more productions here getting them educated on what that tax incentive looks like and we end up with a situation like this where we've got boots on the ground, cameras rolling and we've got people working."

RELATED: More location scouts needed to grow Missouri's film industry. Here's how you can sign up for training

Spaghetti Wars almost filmed in New Orleans because of Louisiana's robust film tax credit.

"It would have been too bad because its origin story is here," Breitbach said. "That's where it deserves to be. The tax credits have really given people just a true sign of hope. When you have hope you can ignite ideas and you can bring joy to your job."

A finished product may be dishing out in the first quarter of next year, Kehm said. Breitbach added that he'd love to see it land on a high-end streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

To help even more St. Louis filmmakers get their projects off the ground, The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and non-profit Continuity are accepting applications until Friday, Nov. 15 to give out grants up to $100,000. 

They're investing $500,000 total through the St. Louis Film Project.

To apply for the St. Louis Film Project grant if you have a media or content idea, click here.

RELATED: New production providing more movie-making opportunities in Missouri

Don't forget the St. Louis International Film Festival is also in full swing with screenings in theaters across the area. The festival ends Sunday, Nov. 17.

You can find a full film festival schedule here.

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