September 26, 2006 - This fall, as the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting celebrates its 40th anniversary amidst a renaissance in film and television production in the City, the agency has partnered with cultural institutions across the City’s five boroughs to present programming offering New Yorkers the opportunity to learn about and celebrate the rich history of entertainment in New York.
“Although today film commissions can be found in municipalities across the globe, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting became the first agency of its kind when it was founded by Mayor John V. Lindsay in 1966,” said Commissioner Katherine Oliver. “This fall, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary and experience a boom in production similar to the one catalyzed by the establishment of our agency, there is no better time to invite all New Yorkers to join us in looking back on and celebrating our entertainment industry, which employs 100,000 New Yorkers, contributes $5 billion to our economy annually, supports our multi billion-dollar tourism industry, and has made a lasting impact on American culture and cinema.”
Cultural Programming
Programming planned in conjunction with the agency’s 40th anniversary includes screenings, panels, book signings and career days at institutions including the AIC-Cypher Salon, Apollo Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Center for Communication, Coney Island Film Festival, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Gotham Center for NYC History, International Center of Photography, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Museum of the Moving Image, Museum of Television and Radio, The New York Public Library, NYU, Queens College’s Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Queens Museum of Art, Snug Harbor, and Tribeca Cinemas. Click here for complete details.
"New York City is the creative capital of the world thanks to its vibrant cultural community," said Commissioner Kate D. Levin, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. "We are delighted that cultural organizations throughout the City -- both nonprofit and for-profit -- continue to work together and enrich one another on a daily basis. The Department of Cultural Affairs salutes our colleagues on their 40th anniversary and encourages all New Yorkers to celebrate the rich history of the City's film industry by enjoying the many programs taking place in all five boroughs."
Web Design
Complete details on the above cultural programming is available online on the Anniversary section of nyc.gov/film.
The web component also includes an interactive map of the City which allows users to explore hundreds of locations which have been made famous on film and television and are featured in the forthcoming book Scenes from the City. The map is one of the first Flash "mashups" to adapt the rich functionality of Yahoo! Maps and combine it with images and information. Using the latest versions of Yahoo! Maps and Adobe Flash (Flash 8.0) made it possible to customize the map's look and feel substantially and deliver a more branded and integrated user experience. The map will be available in a printed version as well, which will be distributed to MOMA, BAM, Tribeca Cinemas, Queens Museum of Art, Museum of the Moving image, and with the MTA’s help, hotels and visitors centers around the city.
The web component was created pro bono by iDeutsch, a division of Deutsch Inc., one of NYC's leading full-service integrated marketing and communications companies. Deutsch offers clients an array of services including advertising, direct marketing (directDeutsch), Interactive (iDeutsch), media buying and planning (deutschMedia), design (designDeutsch), public relations, promotions, and events (Deutsch PR and Promotions) and branded entertainment offering Media Bridge Entertainment (MBE).
Educational Initiatives
The New York City Department of Education’s Office of Arts and Special Projects has partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting to create a mini-curriculum in support of the study of film, recognizing its value for teaching and learning in both the arts and literacy. A team of educators selected three films -- Searching For Bobby Fischer for upper-elementary students, Mad Hot Ballroom for middle school students and Finding Forrester for high school students – and designed a mini-curriculum for each one. The curriculums are based on the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts, providing teachers with tools to prepare students for watching the films and follow-up activities and suggestions for art making, arts literacy, multidisciplinary connections and information about careers in the film industry. The curriculums are also designed to lead to an examination of New York City culture, stories and neighborhoods.
Production Business Booms
Film and television production is booming in New York City. After a sharp downturn in production following 2001, the entertainment production business in New York City has recovered impressively. Last year the number of location shooting days in New York City reached 31,570 -- the highest number on record.
The dramatic production increases are the result of the "Made in NY" incentive program, unveiled by Mayor Bloomberg in late 2004. The program includes a fifteen percent City-State tax credit for qualified productions. The tax credit was so successful that the City reached the allocation limit for the four year program in just 13 months, prompting the Mayor to sign into law an expansion of the program in July 2006. The incentive program also includes a marketing program which provides free advertising to “Made in NY” productions and a discount card program which offers reductions to the industry at more than 550 local vendors.
The City is actively working to ensure that a diverse group of New Yorkers have access to the jobs created as a result of this new business. This fall, the agency launched a program to prepare a diverse cross-section of New Yorkers for entry-level positions as Production Assistants. The program is expanding access to jobs in this industry and training crews to work collaboratively with the communities in which they shoot.
