Commissioner Rafael Espinal, after six months leading the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), announced significant progress in increasing New Yorkers' access to the city's vibrant media and entertainment industries.
MOME is actively launching free training programs and providing free movie tickets to expand public engagement. To attract major productions like "A Quiet Place" and "The Gilded Age," the office is streamlining filming processes on NYC streets and promoting the state's amended tax credit, aiming to create more local jobs. "These are exciting times in the City of NY," Espinal said.
The "Made in NY" initiative supports productions employing thousands of New Yorkers and engaging small businesses, with August seeing premieres such as "One Night Only" and "Late Fame." Current productions filming in NYC include "NCIS: New York" and "Severance." MOME also launched the "Created in NY" campaign, inviting vertical content creators to the inaugural ALZA festival in October, where top entries will receive a "Made in NY" Award.
Furthering industry support, MOME released the August edition of its new quarterly "Production Notes" newsletter, which includes a report identifying New York as the top preferred filming hub among surveyed executives. The office also continues its "Film Green Office Hours" series, focusing on sustainability in film and television production. NYC Media is premiering new seasons of "Potluck" and "Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC."
Looking ahead, New York City will host several cultural events, including Harlem Week and the Dominican Film Festival. The recent ninth annual New York Music Month concluded successfully, drawing an estimated 11,000 participants to 65 free events and providing over 2,500 hours of free rehearsal space to more than 600 musicians.