FRANKFORT, Ky. — A large state investment in the entertainment industry is paying off, with big names drawing attention to the Bluegrass.

Kentucky’s newly bolstered Entertainment Incentives program is drawing in more film production and leading to further investments in the film industry in the state.

Recently, excitement was felt across several Kentucky communities as a movie crew spent 25 days shooting a new film called, “Wildcat." The project’s celebrity director, Ethan Hawke, drummed up excitement about the film starring his daughter, Maya Hawke, on social media. It will be a bio-pic on the life of author Flannery O’Connor.

Even though the movie isn’t set in Kentucky, producers chose to film every single scene in the Commonwealth.

“We’re representing Iowa. We’re representing New York. We're representing Georgia, all here in Kentucky,” said one of the film’s producers, Eric Groth.

Groth said the state’s newly improved entertainment incentives program was too good to pass up. His team got back about a third of its investment in the film, with nearly $2.9 million in tax incentives from the state.

Groth said in return, his crew tried to give back to the state during the scouting, casting and filming process.

“We love making great stories. We love making films, but for us, we want a win-win so that for the communities to win to have extras involved, you know, background actors involved, and, you know, bringing economic development into the space is just as valuable to us,” Groth said.

It’s an idea the state hopes to build upon. In 2022, Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development secured 58 big productions, from feature-length films like “Wildcat” to documentaries to TV programs to be shot all across the state.

Showcasing a full, statewide catalog of potential filming locations online, the state pulled those dozens of productions in and gave $52.7 million of its $75 million available tax incentives back to them.

In addition, the city of Louisville announced $65 million would be put into redeveloping the Louisville Gardens building into a major production studio. With work on that starting this year, Groth foresees more crews like his making investments in the Bluegrass.

“If they build a, you know, a multimillion-dollar, multifaceted production studio, it’ll just continue to attract more producers to want to come here and get away from one coast or the other coast, or places that aren't is just as accommodating, you know, and there's just such a good vibe and a good feeling in kind of the heartland and mid part of the country,” he said.

So far this year, Kentucky has secured five more feature-film productions, worth more than $2.3 million in incentives.