Heidi Gardner filming Swimming Lesson film in Kansas City

On the heels of Jason Sudeikis and “Ted Lasso” filming in Kansas City last summer, another Big Slick co-host, Kansas City native Heidi Gardner, is filming her new movie here this week.

“The Swimming Lesson” is an indie dramedy that also co-stars William H. Macy. It is written and directed by Casey Twenter, a 1990 graduate of Bishop Miege Catholic High School. It is Twenter’s directorial feature debut.

He also co-wrote the script with Jeff Robison, his collaborator on the 2014 drama, “Rudderless.”

“We’re thrilled to have another hometown talent bringing their latest project to Kansas City,” the Kansas City Film Office wrote on social media in announcing the project.

The movie follows directionless single mom Tay, played by Gardner, as she leaves Los Angeles to return to her childhood home, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

She gets caught up in a custody battle over her son, Albee, who is autistic and obsessed with the ocean but scared of swimming.

Macy plays Leonard, Tay’s loyal but foul-mouthed father.

“We knew Tay needed an actor who could carry the humor, chaos and heartbreak of this story, and Heidi is exactly that,” Twenter told The Hollywood Reporter in May.

“From there, the goal was surrounding her with a supporting ensemble that could meet her at that level, and there’s no better place to start than William H. Macy. Bill brings the bite, warmth and lived-in humanity Leonard needs, and I’m thrilled to be working with him again.”

Just as “Ted Lasso” did when it filmed the first episode of Season 4 around Kansas City last year, the film is using local crew members and acting extras.

Twenter reached out to members of the Bishop Miege community for help with the film via Facebook.

In one ask, he wrote that Gardner’s character, Tay, is seen working on a home remodel project and needs to look like she knows how to swing a hammer, not just an “actor holding a tool for the first time.”

“If you’ve got a background in carpentry, framing, or general contracting and would be willing to spend a couple hours walking our actor through the basics before we shoot (how to hold a tool, how to measure, how a pro actually moves through the work), I’d love to talk,” he wrote.

In July he asked his fellow Miege grads if they had adult children who wanted to be an extra in a scene scheduled to be filmed at a local bar on Thursday.

He wrote that he needed 250 “kids” who could pass for age 21-30.

“The date of the shoot is August 20th. All day. We will pay them with pizza. A ton of music. And a chance to be in a movie,” Twenter wrote.

For the Big Slick auction, Gardner offered a behind-the-scenes and on-screen visit to the movie’s set this week and next. She is one of the homegrown celebrities who host the annual fundraiser for Children’s Mercy.

The Notre Dame de Sion graduate joined Jason Sudeikis, Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Eric Stonestreet and David Koechner in 2023.

“This isn’t a quick walk through or a wave from afar — you’ll step directly into the heart of the production and be part of the action,” said the description of the experience.

“Spend the day on set, soak in the energy of filming, and even appear in the movie as an on screen extra. Have lunch with Heidi, the director, and members of the cast and crew, hearing firsthand stories about the filmmaking process.

“Then, once production wraps, you’ll be invited to attend a screening of the finished film, knowing you helped bring it to life.”

No release date for the film has been released.

Gardner spent part of last summer filming another independent movie, “Transcending,” in Belton, Missouri and other locations around Kansas City.