Speakers

Steph Scupham has a role of a lifetime as Kansas City’s Film Commissioner. She was raised in St. Louis and started college at Bradley University in Theatre and Voice before transferring to the University of Kansas, graduating with Communications degree with Film Emphasis. She says it’s crazy how many different jobs and roles she’s had – but when the Kansas City Film Office was officially reinstated by the City with Visit KC, she knew she found a way to use her experiences to the fullest.

In her 20-year career Steph gained early experience as a PA and film loader/camera assistant and later as a television content creator, camera operator, editor, talent agent, commercial producer and director, teleprompter workshop facilitator, live sports audio mixer, talent agent, client services and sales. Steph has worked for advertising agencies like Sullivan Higdon & Sink, production companies like Take Two, TV stations like KCPT as well as two of her own companies.

She is passionate about spreading a vision of a thriving Kansas City production industry and advocating for the vision's reality. She currently serves as a board member of the Kansas City Arts Industry Sector Council as well as Co-VP of the statewide education and advocacy organization Missouri Motion Media Association. In the past she has been on the board of Kansas City Film Festival International and for many years was a regional Emmy judge.

Since establishing the KC Film Office after a 10-year absence (re-opened October 2014), she has led efforts to bring in and give assistance to hundreds of film, TV and commercial productions – including NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” (twice since she started in this role), Netflix series “Queer Eye” and the Cannes award-winning film “American Honey.” Steph organized the first Script to Screen show and tell at Maker Faire KC, sponsored the first ever bi-city film competition - KC vs Chattanooga “Capture – A Filmmaking Project,” and represents the region at annual events and festivals like AFCI Locations Expo in LA, Sundance Film Festival and annual industry meet-ups in Los Angeles and New York.

She collaborated with the City of Kansas City to architect the city’s first ever local film incentive, making KC the first city in America to create a local incentive without also having a state incentive.

She has a husband, Sam, a beautiful bonus kid, Cassie, and one hilarious dog, Tater who has his own Insta @TaterTotJones_KCdog.