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MOFTB and Department of Cultural Affairs Announce Local Productions Have Donated More than $600,000 to NYC Cultural Organizations through "Made in NY" Cultural Credit

October 5, 2009 – NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting Commissioner Katherine Oliver and Department of Cultural Affairs Deputy Commissioner Margaret Morton announced that, through the “Made in NY” Cultural Credit program, NYC-based films and television series have donated more than $600,000 to local cultural organizations. The program allows productions that shoot the majority of their work in the five boroughs to receive free advertising on City-owned media properties in exchange for contributions to local arts and cultural organizations. Lifetime Television’s all-new original comedy series Sherri, starring Sherri Shepherd (The View), is the most recent production to participate in the “Made in NY” Cultural Credit. The announcement took place at an event celebrating the premiere of Sherri at the Empire Hotel, hosted by Barbara Walters and Andrea Wong, President and CEO of Lifetime Networks.

“The television shows you see around the City are doing more than just shooting their latest episode,” said Commissioner Oliver. “Thanks to our ‘Made in NY’ Cultural Credit, NYC-based films and television shows have taken the opportunity to strengthen the City’s creative community and nurture upcoming talent in the industry through their participation in this program. We want to extend a sincere thank you to Lifetime and Sherri, and to the dozens of other ‘Made in NY’ productions that have made this program such a success with their collective donations of more than $600,000 to our local arts and cultural organizations.”

Under the umbrella of the “Made in NY” program, any project that shoots at least 75 percent of its work here in the City is eligible to receive co-sponsored advertising on City-owned media. In exchange for the use of bus shelters or airtime on NYC TV, the City’s official television station, productions donate a small percentage of their budget to an organization of their choice through a partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs to further advance the arts in New York City.

“Today is a great day for New York City’s creative industries, as we celebrate this important milestone for the Cultural Credit,” said Deputy Commissioner Morton. “This innovative public-private partnership brings together the film industry and New York City’s cultural field, reinforcing the linkages between nonprofit groups and the commercial creative sector. It offers cultural organizations the recognition and support they need to ensure that New York City remains a great place to live, work, and visit. Thank you to Lifetime and Sherri and all of the ‘Made in NY’ productions who have participated, and to Katherine Oliver for championing this extraordinary collaboration.”

Starring Sherri Shepherd, actress, comedienne, author and Emmy® Award-winning co-host of ABC’s The View, Sherri premiered on Monday, October 5 at 7PM ET/PT on Lifetime, which will air original episodes of the series all week. Beginning next week, Sherri will move into its regular, weekly timeslot on Tuesdays at 10PM ET/PT. Loosely based on Shepherd’s own life, the comedy follows a single mother (Shepherd) juggling and caring for her six-year-old son, working part-time as a paralegal, following her dream to become a full-time comedienne/actress, and dealing with her recent separation from her cheating husband. Sherri is shot in Manhattan at NEP Studios at the Pennsylvania Hotel.

As part of its participation in the “Made in NY” Cultural Credit, the production of Sherri has chosen Sprout, which offers programs for people with developmental disabilities living in New York City. This year, Sprout will shoot two films through their Make-A-Movie Program, which offers adults and young adults with developmental disabilities a chance to be involved with hands-on filmmaking. Another of its initiatives to achieve their mission of “making the invisible visible” is the Sprout Film Festival. This annual weekend event, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases films featuring people with developmental disabilities.

“Lifetime has a legacy of giving back to the community, and we are proud to be participating in the ‘Made in NY’ program to assist Sprout, which is an inspiring organization,” said Nina Lederman, Senior Vice President, Series Programming and Development, of Lifetime Networks. “New York is the perfect backdrop for Sherri, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to assist local arts and charity organizations such as Sprout in this wonderful City.”

“By presenting films of artistry and intellect, Sprout hopes to reinforce accurate portrayals of people with developmental disabilities and expose the general public to important issues facing this population,” said Anthony Di Salvo, Executive Director, Sprout. “We are extremely appreciative of Lifetime and Sherri’s support and belief in our organization and its mission.”

Developed by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, the “Made in NY” campaign recognizes and celebrates the thousands of television shows, feature films, commercials, music videos, documentaries, print ad campaigns and theatre projects that are made each year in New York City, the entertainment capital of the world. As part of the “Made in NY” Marketing Credit, productions must shoot at least 75 percent of their work in New York City to receive free exposure throughout the City, the largest market in the country, valued at 1 percent of their local production costs. A production then donates 0.1 percent of that budget to a local cultural organization of its choice in an effort to cultivate the next generation of artists, writers, filmmakers and young people in New York City. Since 2005, more than 50 local cultural organizations have benefited from this program, including Art Education for the Blind, Ballet Hispanico, Harlem School for the Arts, Hospital Audiences, and Women Make Movies, among others.

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