Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Good morning, everyone. I would like to say thank you first and foremost to everyone for joining us here today, including Speaker Menin and reps from SAG-AFTRA, IATSE Local 52 and Local 764, WGA, MPA, and our Arts & Culture Subcommittee. Today marks the first day of a new week in the greatest city in the world. Hours ago, before the sun began to climb, countless New Yorkers started their days conducting our subways, driving our taxis, putting out our fires, literally and figuratively.
And yet, what might feel mundane to the people of this incredible city is fascinating to the rest of the world. There's a reason that countless films and television shows have been created depicting life in this incredible city. The daily routine here is so vibrant that it demands artistic expression. And we know the art that reflects this city also shapes this city. So much of the collective memory of New York is drawn from how it has been captured on screen. The Central Park foliage from When Harry Met Sally, the summer heat of Do the Right Thing, the culture of hustle of Marty Supreme.
And yet, that memory does not exist on its own. It comes from a city that treasures the arts. That invests in the arts. That makes it possible for artists and all who contribute to making New York's entertainment industry to live lives of creativity. I'm thinking of the actors, the writers, the stagehands, the camera operators, the makeup artists, the technicians who make New York City a union town. And I say that not just as the mayor of New York City but as a former PA myself.
City Hall is tackling the cost-of-living crisis so that artists can raise their children here, [so] that they can afford studios and homes here, and so that they can take fast and free buses to shoots here. But we don't want our efforts to be limited solely to making New York affordable for those making the arts. We also want to make New York affordable to make the arts as well. So together, we are going to do just that.
I am proud to announce that Rafael Espinal will be serving as our commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. MOME does incredible, often unseen work. Most productions that are filmed in this city interact with this agency. And I was struck by Rafael's passion for this specific work and the importance that it holds for New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Because art is much more than just imagination. It demands organization, resources, logistics, and often a great deal of external support.
MOME has long existed to support the industries that work across our city's creative sectors. And with Rafael leading its work, I want New Yorkers to hold high expectations. For many New Yorkers, especially the Brooklynites he represented in the City Council, Rafael's name is synonymous with fierce advocacy, with a love of this city, and with a commitment of uplifting those too often forgotten by our politics.
And for those of you who may know some of the videos that we made in our campaign as I ran to become the mayor of this city, some of the incredible artists that were a part of that, Melted Solids, actually found their way in working for Rafael many years prior.
And more recently, as Rafael has become the president and executive director of the Freelancers Union, he played an integral role in the state passage of the Freelance Isn't Free Act, which provided protections to freelancers across our state. This industry has long been an example of how creative work can and must be valued work, from the line workers to the craftspeople.
And under my administration, MOME will make sure of exactly that. We will stand alongside the union workers, who have long lacked champions in elected office. And we will work tirelessly to expand the number of highway jobs available to New Yorkers. I can think of no one better equipped to lead this office in this particular moment.
Because we want New York to chart a path where the city known across the world for our cultural contributions also becomes known as the place where [the] government proved that it can play a pivotal role in fostering creative imagination. Let our success be felt when the most talented, driven artists in the world want to shoot their projects on our streets. And when the youngest talents who already call this city home, making their first projects in playgrounds and public parks, know that their imagination will be supported by that same city.
So much of New York's greatness has been depicted already. And yet we all know that the best shot has still not yet been filmed, that the best score has still not yet been recorded, that the most ambitious visions have still not yet been screened. So together, let us usher in a golden age of New York expression, one that all of us can enjoy and afford, whether by watching it or by creating it. Thank you so much, and now, our Commissioner, Rafael Espinal.
Commissioner Rafael Espinal, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment: Good morning, my name is Rafael Espinal and I'm honored to serve as the next commissioner for the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Thank you, Mayor Mamdani, for this incredible opportunity to help build a city that every New Yorker, no matter whether you're on your way to become the next Tom Cruise or you're on a set as a grip, you can afford to live in.
I grew up in East New York in the 90s. Films and television were my escape. They transported me to new worlds, and they made me want to create new worlds of my own for my friends and family. So, I started making short films when I was 13 years old. But growing up on the edges of our city, I didn't see a clear pipeline into a real career in the creative industries. And I heard the same message too often. You need a plan B if you want to afford to live in the city.
So, life pulled me in other directions. And I'm proud of the work that I've done along the way in the New York State Assembly, in the City Council, and at the Freelancers Union, fighting to make it easier for working New Yorkers, especially creative workers, to make ends meet and build stability.
Still, I've asked myself more than once, what would my life look like if I believed early on that my passion could be my profession? That question and energy is part of what I'm bringing into this role. As commissioner, I'll work to keep New York the creative capital of the world, not just a place where great work gets made, but a place where the people who make that work can actually live in.
To do that, I'll prioritize partnership with the amazing labor unions, with the industries and partners in the state, to secure and expand good-paying union jobs, and to strengthen the ecosystem that makes this city the global standard. I'll work across the creative sectors to ensure New York remains the premier place to create, while widening the pathways, so that the next generation, and the communities too often shut out, can access training, opportunities, benefits, and the resources to tell their stories.
I wanted to join Mamdani’s administration because of its whole-of-government approach to affordability. Because if New York is unaffordable, we don't just lose residents, we lose our culture. And as a proud son of Dominican immigrants born and raised in Brooklyn, being able to marry my work with my passion is a dream come true.
So, thank you again, Mr. Mayor, for this opportunity. I want to thank the Deputy Mayor Julie Su. And thank you to my family and my friends who are here with me today for supporting me every step of the way. I want to thank my former team at the Freelancers Union who also joined us. Thank you for your work. I also want to thank the outgoing commissioner, Pat Kaufman, for her work over the years. And also, Rich and Samson Stages, for having us here today. MOME has a critical role to play in delivering an affordability agenda for creatives, and I'm ready to get to work. Thank you.
Mayor Mamdani: Now, many of us may know her as the current speaker of the City Council, but she was also a former commissioner. And we're very excited to have Speaker Julie Menin here with us today as well.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin: Thank you so much, mayor. I couldn't be more excited to be here for this critical announcement. I may be biased, but I think MOME is one of the best agencies in the city. I served as commissioner from 2016 to 2019. And MOME plays this key and critical role, as you heard from the mayor, as you heard from our new commissioner. It's an economic driver, it's a $104 billion industry with over 305,000 jobs. And we have the opportunity under this new leadership to continue to grow that, in terms of good-paying jobs for New Yorkers.
I do want to mention a little-known fact that there are actually more jobs in New York City in media and entertainment than there are in the financial sector. So, there's a lot really riding on this. I've had the honor and privilege of working with our new commissioner, Rafael Espinal, for many, many years. First, on the Freelancers Isn’t Free Act, which was passed at the city level and was implemented by the Department of Consumer Affairs, which I chaired.
And then more recently on the Freelancers Hub, which still exists in Dumbo, which was created by MOME and really talks about the gig economy and making sure that workers are being uplifted, that they have insurance and so many critical needs that we have for freelancers.
And then lastly, something that wasn't mentioned, is that Rafael Espinal had the bill to create the Office of Nightlife. And we created the Office of Nightlife at MOME, and that really supports the nightlife industry and makes sure that our nightlife industry is as vibrant as possible. So, thank you, Mr. Mayor, for inviting me here today. I couldn't be more excited to partner with you, commissioner, on so much of the important work ahead. Thank you.
Question: In one of the many interesting last acts of Eric Adams before he left, I think on December 31st, he proposed new regulations for press badges through the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. I was wondering if you had an opinion on that, on what he has proposed and maybe why.
And, more broadly, he's having a press conference in Times Square right now and he's been oddly critical of your administration. I think usually former mayors don’t weigh in this directly. Do you have a take on sort of his postures since leaving office in that sense as well?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I'll leave the former mayor to answer the second part of that question. But what I will tell you is that we will be withdrawing those proposed rules. And much of the reason for that is that we view a number of these proposals as being an attack on the press and the free press, and there's no need for us to be advancing that same vision.
Question: What did you find problematic about them?
Mayor Mamdani: When going through a number of the different specific proposals, we just see time and again that the intent is not to strengthen whether the public’s access of information or even the way in which we work with the press corps, it more felt as if it was an intent to tighten and restrict the press's ability to engage with the Mayor's Office. And that is not something that we want to be putting forward.
Question: Do you feel like it was attacking a specific type of journalist that covers you more than him?
Mayor Mamdani: I'll be honest with you, I can't speak to that. Thank you.
Question: I'm wondering if I can get you, mayor, and the speaker, and possibly the new commissioner, to weigh in on this. As to getting film productions to do their business in New York City, a lot of times they ask for tax breaks. A lot of times they want a deal. They want a break. But when you're talking about affordability, shouldn't you be asking them to pay even more, even if it means potentially sometimes losing the business here, because they got the money? How do you respond to that, since in the past, a lot of people say, “Well, we’ll film in Vancouver if you don’t give me that tax break.”
Mayor Mamdani: I think we also have to make the case for New Yorkers and for New York City. And part of making the case is emphasizing the importance of this industry. I think the speaker said it herself, in terms of the sheer magnitude and scale of this industry, is one that's often lost in our landscape. And the reason that we both made the decision to have Rafael as our new commissioner and to announce this position at this juncture, is because we want MOME to take a different kind of prioritization within our own administration, and that means active and affirmative outreach to all those who would be considering to shoot and make productions here in New York City.
But also, separate from this, how do we make it easier for artists who are already here to start to actually act upon their imagination? Too often, it feels like the world of arts and culture and the world of New York City politics are completely separate. And we want to do the work to ensure that we have someone who is seasoned both in the inner workings of government, as well as has the imagination of someone who's been outside of it, and how we can mix those two things together.
Speaker Menin: First of all, we have a state tax credit for the film industry that is working, and that is attracting new film and TV production to our great city. If we didn't have that, we would lose a tremendous amount of production. As I mentioned, these creative sectors are $104 billion for our economy. We can't lose that, so we have a state tax credit in place.
There actually used to be a city tax credit years ago in the Bloomberg administration of 5 percent, and then that was eradicated to instead do free bus and subway advertising for productions that were made in New York, which is what MOME does. So, I think we have a good system in place, and we'll be able to, with this leadership team, be able to attract the film and TV industry to our city.
Question: Do you want to bring back city tax credit?
Speaker Menin: No, I don't want to bring back the city tax credit. I don't think we need to bring it back. I think we have a very good state tax credit that is working, and it's why so many movies and film productions want to shoot in our great city.
Question: I wanted to ask, I know it's kind of a two-part question. The first is, I know here and in L.A. and even in Atlanta, since both COVID and the Writers Guild and others and SAG strikes, productions have been down. I know we've seen it here a little bit. It's been hard for people to find work. Is there anything planned for you, Mr. Mayor, or the commissioner to improve that?
And additionally, I know the selection of Rafael to this position, he's been the head of the Freelancers Union, but most productions in the city are SAG, Writers Guild, Local 52. Is his selection – I know it's not a prerequisite to be the commissioner, but I don't know if that's maybe a more expansive view of production and creative work here in the city, beyond just the traditional unions you see working on film and TV projects.
Mayor Mamdani: I think even more than Rafael’s recent experience, he has always stood out to me as someone who sought to bridge the worlds of arts and politics. And I really do go back, we have Anthony here in the crowd from Melted Solids. We can give Anthony a round of applause. I do just want to highlight this for one moment. When Rafael was a City Council member, when Rafael was running for public advocate, he was already utilizing the kinds of digital tools that have now become a fixture in our politics. But at that time, it was advancing a different kind of vision of how to share the stories of New Yorkers with New Yorkers.
And I am the proud son of a DGA member, and my mother would always tell me that if we don't tell our own stories, no one else will. And I think that we know there are so many stories of this city that are being told on a day-to-day basis, and we also know that there are more stories to be told. And something that stood out to me about Rafael, both in his remarks today but also in the conversations we've had, is his passion, born and raised in East New York, for becoming an artist in this city, and then the obstacles he faced time and time again, in no small part because of where he was born and raised and where he was coming to that moment from.
And what we want to do is make it as easy as possible for any New Yorker who has that imagination to become an artist in this city. And I think that there is obviously a larger scale case we have to make. What we also want is someone running MOME who understands the logistical barriers, the organizational barriers, the kinds of barriers that someone can then use as an example of why they would want to do something elsewhere. Go to another city, another place where it's easier to interact. It's not actually always about money, it's also about ease. And that is something that I am so excited about, is that we will finally be bringing this ability to look at both worlds and how to actually bring them together.
Question: There's been a reduction in productions across the country. Anything you can do or want to do for all three people to encourage more productions and then more jobs here in the city?
Mayor Mamdani: I think we're going to take every opportunity to highlight the importance of this sector, of the incredible New Yorkers who make it a living, breathing thing. And also the part that, this is a sector that is in pre-production, it's in production, it's post-production, right? There are so many different approaches to this work and different timelines. And all of them require the recognition of the mayor of the city. We're going to keep doing that each and every day and also look at what tangible ideas we can be putting forward through MOME as policies and proposals to make it easier to do work in the city.
Question: You mentioned you want to do more active outreach from MOME than perhaps it was under the previous administration. Are there any other aspects of how MOME behaved under Eric Adams that you want to change or that you saw as not being sufficient? And I guess, while on the topic of Eric Adams, are you going to buy one of his new crypto tokens?
Mayor Mamdani: No.
Question: Do you own any crypto tokens?
Mayor Mamdani: No. And to the question of our commissioner and of MOME, I have to tell you, it was far more of a reflection of being inspired by his vision [and] his passion than a question of what has preceded it. And I would also invite the commissioner to share some thoughts to that end, because there is so much that can be done for artists in this city. And what I've appreciated, and this is partially to Katie's question, his experience is also understanding that an artist goes beyond the categories that we’ve typically used in this city.
Commissioner Espinal: Just to further expand on your question, I think generally [the] government doesn't really work well for the people it's designed to serve, or it hasn't historically. So, this is an opportunity to look at how MOME can make it easier to produce jobs in the city. Because if we have more production, we'll have more access to jobs, and if people have jobs, the city becomes more affordable to them. So, first things first, is how do we go in and audit how the agency is currently operating and make the case to the mayor on what investments need to be made to ensure that the communities and the constituencies we're trying to serve are being served.
Question: Do you think the office needs a bigger budget than it currently has? Is that some of the changes [inaudible]?
Commissioner Espinal: I can't speak to that right now and I look forward to having those conversations as we move forward.
Question: For the commissioner, being that we see the production trailers all over town, and they're there for a couple of days. There never seems to be adequate notice to the streets and the neighborhoods when they're there and for how long. You get a sign up on a tree or a pole and maybe people see it. Is there any way to improve that, so that people know how long these trailers are going to be there, and what they're blocking, and what you can't do on your own street?
Commissioner Espinal: It's a great question. It's one of those quality life concerns a lot of New Yorkers have. I think there's a lot of creative ways to look at that. I think the mayor has done a great job utilizing social media to communicate to New Yorkers. How can MOME play a role in educating and informing communities that the filming is going to happen on the ground? How can we use our websites better? How can we use our communications newsletters better?
But of course, we have to remind New Yorkers that production brings opportunity to our city. And they do make local investments to our local parks, to our businesses, to our vendors. So, I think we need to take an all-around educational approach to ensure that New Yorkers know the value of having those trucks there, but also that the trucks and the productions are doing the best job they can to inform New Yorkers that they're going to be working there.
Question: Mr. Mayor, last week, NY1 aired a series about taser use at the NYPD, specifically with mental health encounters. We found that it was used hundreds of times against people every year in mental health crises. And then, at least in 2023, in 73 percent of those incidents, the person was unarmed.
We also uncovered that there had been a death in 2024, and the NYPD never told anyone about it, someone who had died after being tased. Do you think the NYPD should be using tasers against people in mental health crises? And did you watch the report and have any response to it?
Mayor Mamdani: And is that in reference to Adrian Cevallos? I believe that any death deserves a thorough investigation. We also have to acknowledge that our officers are being placed in difficult situations and tasks with responding to mental health crises, as opposed to tackling serious and violent crime. And so, our focus is going to be on both reckoning with what the situation is currently and also charting out our new path forward.
Question: Do you think a taser should continue to be used in mental health crises?
Mayor Mamdani: I think that this is part of the many questions that we are looking at when it comes to the Department of Community Safety.
Question: Last week, you did the presser at the Williamsburg Bridge, you talked about how design should allow cyclists to ride without having to break the law. Within 24 hours, the NYPD set up a ticketing sting right there. So, I'm curious, have you directed your police commissioner to end the criminal summonses against cyclists, or do you plan to do so?
Mayor Mamdani: The criminal summons with regards to?
Question: Cyclists and bike riders, yeah.
Mayor Mamdani: So that is something that I've made clear, is that I think that cyclists should not be subject to criminal summonses and that's a conversation that we're having.
Question: Bikers as well or is there a distinction for you there?
Mayor Mamdani: That's part of that conversation.
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