Spaghetti Wars, an Italian food-themed reality show filmed on The Hill, will make its debut with an advance screening of the pilot episode on Saturday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m.at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. This one-time screening is part of the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase (July 18–27), which features 75 locally made films.
Created by Patrick “Pepe” Kehm, a chef and veteran local restaurateur with deep Italian roots, the series pits family teams against each other in lively cooking challenges that Kehm describes as a blend of Top Chef, The Sopranos, Family Feud, and Shark Tank. The pilot ends with a Big Night-style dinner for 100, filmed last November at the former Viviano’s Market on The Hill. (For more background on Spaghetti Wars , click here.)
Courtesy of Fox 2Courtesy of Fox 2
Viviano’s Market on the Hill was transformed into a dinner event space for one evening during the filming of Spaghetti Wars.
The film, which should run 40–50 minutes, is still undergoing final tweaks such as color correction and sound adjustments—common for festival screenings, Kehm notes.
Following the screening, Kehm will host a Q&A session along with executive producer Barry Mendelson, whose resume boasts more than 300 TV shows. Tickets are $15 and available here. Use the promo code $pW@show25 at checkout for a $5 discount.
The Backstory
Earlier this month, SLM sat down with Mendelson and Pete Salsich III, an entertainment attorney with Capes Sokol, to get more details about how the pilot came together.
“The craziest part is how much we pulled off in under a year,” Mendelson says. “We had a crew of 70, including one guy whose only job was lighting the food, and shot 30 hours of footage in just four days. How the hell did we do it? The crew here, for starters. Of the 70, 47 were from St. Louis, and they were great, exceeding every expectation.”
He also points to the million-dollar-plus size of the production as proof of just how unique it was. “The six local audio guys had always competed against one another and never worked together,” he explains, “because there’s never been a fast-turn project that required them all at the same time.”
Courtesy of Spaghetti WarsCourtesy of Spaghetti Wars
Ereka Vetrini (The Consigliere), Gino D’Acampo (The Boss), and Pepe Kehm (The Underboss) on the set of Spaghetti Wars
As previously reported by SLM, Mendelson self-financed the pilot instead of pitching it cold to a network or streaming platform but was surprised by how quickly and generously local investors got behind the project.
“All of our investors are individuals, almost all from St. Louis, many from The Hill, including some who make their living there,” he says. “They were enthusiastic and supportive from the start. Some quietly approached us after seeing what we were doing and said, I want in on this. Even those who passed did so thoughtfully. Out of the 50 people we spoke with, 19 people chose to invest, and in my business, that’s damn good, especially given the short timeframe.”
The momentum didn’t stop there. Mendelson says Spaghetti Wars has already spurred more local people to approach him with potential project ideas. “We’ve already closed one deal for a multi-part narrative series, not a cooking show, that’s already financed and moving forward. It’s based on a familiar topic that I guarantee will connect with people. Ironically, money from that second project ended up helping close the Spaghetti Wars deal. That’s the kind of ripple effect you get when something grabs people’s attention. And now we’ve got several more local stories in the pipeline, a few with major potential.”
The Tax Credits
Mendelson, a firm believer in self-financing his projects to retain ownership of the intellectual property, credits much of Spaghetti Wars’ success to Missouri’s newly available $16 million in tax credits now available in Missouri.
Courtesy of Rosella RagoCourtesy of Rosella Rago
Spaghetti Wars executive producer Barry Mendelson with Rosella Rosa, one of the stars of the show
“I don’t like to approach the streaming platforms until the production is fully complete,” he explains. “They’re delighted to know that we’ve already paid for the first episode and aren’t asking for funding. I won’t say it’s a slam dunk, but it’ll be tough for the pipeline to say no to Spaghetti Wars given how we’re presenting it. Far more projects will happen in Missouri because of the credits. They’re a game-changer for producers like me.”
Salsich agrees. “The St. Louis film industry has been around for 20 to 30 years, so it’s well established, but the tax credit allows us to elevate it in a significant way,” he says. “It’s more than just a feel-good economic incentive. It gives us the chance to tell untold stories about ourselves and create a different narrative about St. Louis.”
Salsich explains that Missouri’s incentives cover every phase of production—from filming and post-production to marketing and advertising. “The base credit is 20 percent of your spend, but there are add-ons—called uplifts—that reward productions for promoting local talent into more advanced roles. That helps grow the industry here. If you check all the boxes, up to 42 percent of a project’s cost can be offset, including some that are tied to promoting Missouri in a positive light. Spaghetti Wars qualified for a 35 percent credit, which we were very happy with.”
Courtesy of Spaghetti WarsCourtesy of Spaghetti Wars
Mark Drabich, one of the stars of Spaghetti Wars, speaks his mind in the pilot episode.
Salsich also praised the Missouri Film Office for helping potential users navigate the new system. “It’s still new, and there are a lot of questions, but they’ve done a great job guiding us through it.”
Mendelson added a special shoutout to Kelley Hiatt at the St. Louis Film Office, who helps out-of-town crews find everything from hotels and restaurants to random services. “That kind of support makes filmmakers want to return,” he says, “but it all starts with the tax credits. They’re the threshold requirement that will bring more production to the state. And for that, we can all thank the late Kim Tucci, who got the ball rolling.”
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