Background image of Brooklyn Bridge. Text reads the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Supporting New York City's Creative Economy
Dear Friends, 

This week, as we honored the sacrifice and service of the women and men in our armed forces on Veteran’s Day, we also are reminded of the work all of us must do to meet the challenge of this moment. As the rising level of COVID-19 cases threaten to bring a second wave, we must all act now and work together to continue to help keep each other safe.

The State has announced new COVID-19 restrictions which go into effect today, Friday, November 13, at 10:00 pm. Bars, restaurants and gyms or fitness centers, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, will be required to close from 10:00pm to 5:00am daily. Restaurants will still be allowed to provide curbside, food-only pick-up or delivery after 10:00 pm, but will not be permitted to serve alcohol to go. The State Liquor Authority will issue further guidance for licensees as to what sales are continued to be permitted.

The State also has restricted indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences to no more than 10 people. The limit will be implemented due to the recent prevalence of COVID spread resulting from small indoor gatherings, which have become a major cause of cluster activity across the state. This public health measure brings New York State in line with neighboring states including Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

In addition, Staten Island has now been designated a Yellow Zone. State COVID zone restrictions are also still in effect in certain parts of Brooklyn and Queens. To find out where the zones are, and to see what restrictions apply to each zone, please visit www.nyc.gov/covidzone.

We must all do our part and remember to follow the core four—wear a mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing, stay home if you’re sick—and get tested! For more information on free testing, personal protective equipment and more, please visit the NYC Mayor's Office Coronavirus page.

As a reminder, New York State has updated the COVID-19 Travel Advisory. The new guidelines apply to anyone travelling into New York State. This includes New Yorkers who have travelled to other states or countries, as well as people visiting New York. Travelers originating from the contiguous states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, as well as first responders and essential workers, are exempt from the quarantine requirement. Nonessential travel is strongly discouraged.

Travelers entering New York who have spent more than 24 hours out of state (except a contiguous state) must:
1. Complete the New York State Traveler Health Form upon entry into New York State; AND
2. Quarantine (remain in your home or the place you are staying except for emergencies or to seek medical care) for 14 days upon arrival OR test out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine by doing the following:
      a. Take a COVID-19 test three days or fewer prior to arrival in New York State; AND
      b. Take a second test on the fourth day of quarantine in New York; AND
      c. Receive a negative test result for both tests.
           i.  Only after receiving the second negative test result may the traveler leave quarantine.
Travelers entering New York who have spent less than 24 hours out of state (except a contiguous state) do not need to quarantine but must:
1. Complete the New York State Traveler Health Form upon entry into New York State; AND
2. Take a COVID-19 test four days after arrival in New York State.
        •  If the test result is positive, the traveler must fulfill the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
For more information, and for rules applicable to first responders and essential workers, visit the New York State website at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/ or call the New York State hotline at 888-364-3065.

MOME continues to work with our colleagues in government to do whatever we can to help the industries we serve and keep you informed about new developments in New York City’s reopening and recovery.

BUSINESS REOPENING

NYC & Company is offering support for local businesses with free advertising for holiday promotions. All In NYC: Neighborhood Getaways helps NYC businesses share their current promotions to New Yorkers who are staying home for the holidays this year. Businesses can register as many holiday promotions as they have available, and NYC & Company will highlight via press, social media and advertising. In addition, Mastercard is offering cardholders up to $100 rebate through the end of the year to encourage patronage of local businesses participating in the All In NYC promotion.

The Open Storefronts program began last week and runs until December 31. The program allows storefront businesses to use a portion of their sidewalk to display merchandise, sell goods, complete transactions, and provide queuing areas. Businesses can visit www.nyc.gov/openstorefronts to review eligibility requirements and to complete a brief online application.

To accelerate the recovery of our small businesses, The NYC Small Business Resource Network offers free, personalized, one-on-one assistance for small business owners. The program is funded by The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, with support from the Partnership for New York City and the Partnership Fund and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in collaboration with Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and the Five Borough Chambers of Commerce. A team of dedicated Small Business Specialists will help small businesses navigate a range of challenges involving technology, real estate, legal and finance, new regulations, and more. Business owners can sign up for this service through the Chamber of Commerce in their borough.

The commercial eviction/foreclosure moratorium is now extended through January 1, 2021.

MEDIA PRODUCTION

We are pleased to see the return of our Made in NY productions to the fall TV schedule.
Law & Order: SVU and The Blacklist return this week, and the season premieres of Blue Bloods, Bull, Flight Attendant, Power Book II: Ghost, and Prodigal Son will be rolling out in the coming months.

Current guidance for filming is available on the Film Permit website. Please be sure to check frequently for updates and review the guidelines and FAQ before submitting permit applications. If you have questions after reading these guidance documents, please call the Film Office at (212) 489-6710. Please keep in mind that the Film Office is still operating remotely so please allow additional time for Film Permit processing.

To assist productions with promoting safety protocols on set, the Film Office has produced a suite of graphics and posters available for download here.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

In addition to the new State restrictions, the City has issued additional guidance for Open Restaurants to make all roadway seating areas as safe as possible this winter.  As announced in September, some safety enhancements will be mandatory to meet this goal while minimizing the need for costly improvements. The guidance—which will be posted to the DOT website— includes new roadway barrier requirements, enclosure guidelines and expectations during snowfall, along with ways in which the City will assist restaurant owners remain compliant. The City is ready to help program participants with any questions and is deploying a team of inspectors to assist owners/managers in understanding new and existing requirements. Participants may submit questions to DOT at https://on.nyc.gov/2DlH4sT or call the SBS hotline at (888) SBS-4NYC.
The Office of Nightlife has made the following guides and informational materials available for download at www.nyc.gov/nightlife:

        •  ”What to Expect When You’re Inspected”
        •  It’s Up to You, New York social distancing guides and graphics
        •  Take Out, Don’t Hang Out posters

The Office of Nightlife has also partnered with the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings' Center for Creative Conflict Resolution to provide free mediation and conflict resolution services to address a number of neighborhood disputes while ensuring that small businesses thrive. MEND NYC helps address issues that may include:

        •  Quality-of-life issues between residents and businesses
        •  Negotiation between commercial tenants and landlords
        •  Neighboring business to business misunderstandings

Design Corps: Small Business Reopening Network is an online directory where restaurants and venues can connect with licensed, trained designers and architects for free consulting and services to help improve their space and ensure compliance with outdoor dining requirements. For additional information on the Design Corps program please review the detailed guidelines.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

While there are still certain limitations on event permits through December 31, 2020, we continue to work with agency partners to support safe, creative arrangements for community celebrations, performances, and activations throughout the city. Frequently asked questions about outdoor events permitting can be found here.

Guidance for group music activities, including live performances and music recording, in New York City during the COVID-19 public health emergency is available on the MOME website. The music guidance synthesizes COVID-19-related safety requirements from numerous sources, including the New York State Department of Health, the Empire State Development Corporation, the State Liquor Authority, and other State and City laws. The guidance is presented in a plain-language format and includes links to information from other State and City government agencies.

* * *

MOME continues to support and participate in a wide variety of events by and for our fellow New Yorkers in the creative economy.
•  Virtual NYC Curator Collections features a new group of contributors: Christopher Y. Lew (Whitney Museum of American Art), Kristina Newman-Scott (BRIC), Eileen Jeng Lynch (Wave Hill), Hitomi Iwasaki (Queens Museum), Matthew López (Tony-nominated playwright, “The Inheritance”), David Rios (Children’s Museum of Manhattan), Solana Chehtman (The Shed) and Victoria Munro (Alice Austen House). The Virtual NYC curators act as expert guides, handpicking their favorite online experiences including live and recorded performances, digitized exhibitions, social media gatherings and virtual tours from museums, galleries, comedy clubs, theaters and other venues around the city.

•   NYICFF Presents: Virtual Q&A with the cast and crew of the film, “Over the Moon” on November 13 at 5:30pm EST. Join the team at the New York International Children’s Film Festival for a behind-the-scenes dive into this 2020 American-Chinese computer-animated musical science fantasy comedy-adventure. The animation legend, Glen Keane (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast) joins, along with the voice actor Cathy Ang and the producers Peilin Chou and Gennie Rim, to answer your questions about this beautiful film. This event is free.

•    “Made in NY” Talk: Inspiring and Empowering Future Leaders and Creators takes place November 18 at 6:30pm. Presented in partnership with the Center for Communication, this series of free events provides New Yorkers with the background they need to pursue careers in media and entertainment. In this final Talk of Fall 2020, former Center for Communication students share their insights about their careers and lives in the industry with the moderator, Danielle Kwateng-Clark, Culture & Entertainment Director of Teen Vogue. Click on the link to register.

•   DOC NYC runs through November 11-19. Now it’s in 11th year, America’s largest documentary festival will include 107 feature-length documentaries among over 200 films and dozens of events. More than half the features are directed or co-directed by women and a third by BIPOC directors. Available nationwide for the first time this year, the slate includes 23 world premieres, 12 North American premieres, seven US premieres, among more than 200 films and events.

•    The 9th Annual Photoville Festival runs through November 29 with community and artist programming, plus photo exhibitions in public spaces throughout the city. This festival provides an accessible venue for photographers and audiences from every walk of life to engage with each other, and experience thought-provoking photography from across the globe – with free admission for all!

•    Red Nation Film Festival runs through November 30. Now in its 25th year, the country’s largest Native American Film Festival is virtual this year. The festival is a showcase for new work by American Indian and Indigenous international independent filmmakers, bringing together decision makers and content creators with the goal of ensuring media representation of American Indian and Indigenous content to the world at large.
For the latest updates, sign up for MOME’s newsletter, follow our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or visit our website at www.nyc.gov/mome.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns or for support.

Stay NYC strong,

Anne del Castillo
Commissioner
Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment
www.nyc.gov/mome
@NYCMOMECommish
Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment
nyc.gov/mome

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