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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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Proposed Regulations: Empire State Entertainment Diversity Job Training Development Fund

Empire State Development (ESD) is currently accepting public comment on the proposed regulations for the Empire State Entertainment Diversity Job Training Development Fund until Wednesday, May 13, at 5 p.m. EST. The regulations provide the administrative framework for a grant program designed to incentivize efforts to recruit, hire, train, promote and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce for New York State’s film and television production industry.

Announced by Governor Cuomo in July 2019, the first-in-the-nation fund allocates a percentage of the state’s film tax credit program for job training and workforce development, to ensure that entertainment industry-related jobs are filled by New Yorkers who represent the state’s diversity. The Fund builds upon the unprecedented job training partnership between ESD, Bronx Community College (BCC) and Local 52 of The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. BCC’s Film Production Training Program is a 14-week program that trains up to 100 students annually for work in union tradecrafts, such as property, carpentry and electric. New York State awarded BCC a $375,000 grant to cover part of the cost of the two-year program. The Empire State Entertainment Diversity Development Fund and other statewide efforts—including The Multicultural Creativity Summit, PITCHNY℠, and the Diverse Suppliers Directory—continue Governor Cuomo’s legacy of expanding opportunity, increasing diversity, promoting inclusion and standing up for all minority groups in New York State. For more information on the Empire State Entertainment Diversity Job Training Development Fund visit our website. Public comment regarding the proposed fund regulations should be submitted to: [email protected].

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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New York State Budget Reforms the NYS Film Tax Credit Program, Extends Through 2025

On April 3, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced highlights of the FY 2021 enacted budget, including the nation’s strongest Paid Sick Leave program, continued middle class tax cuts—and an extension of film tax incentives that have contributed to New York’s robust TV and film production industry.

The New York State Film Tax Credit Program’s incentives for production and post-production have been among the most successful in the country at attracting film and television production spending and jobs, with a total of 200 productions applying last year alone, bringing an estimated $4.8 billion in spending and more than 254,000 hires to New York’s economy.

The budget extends funding for the credit at $420 million per year through the end of 2025. To enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of the $420 million annual allocation, the agreement reduces the credit rate from 30% to 25% for both the production and post-production credits. In addition, it requires minimum project total budgets of $1 million in New York City and Westchester, Rockland, Suffolk and Nassau counties—and $250,000 for the rest of the state (excluding pilots). Variety shows, except for productions in the program prior to April 1 of this year, will be excluded from the definition of “qualified” film. The 10% additional credit on qualified labor in the 53 counties Upstate remains unchanged. Projects in the production program are eligible for 35% total credit (25% base credit + 10%) on qualified labor costs when shooting anywhere in the state north of Westchester or Rockland counties. And projects in the post-production program are eligible for the 25% base credit, 5% credit for qualified costs incurred outside the metropolitan commuter transportation district (MCTD), and 10% qualified labor credit - for a total of 40% on labor, where applicable.

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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The 40-Year-Old Version

Radha Blank’s first feature is a hit at Sundance

New York filmmaker Radha Blank, whose directorial debut The 40-Year-Old Version won top honors at the Sundance Film Festival, says she “wanted to connect the film to the audience.” And the comedy about a mid-life struggling playwright-turned-rapper, her love letter to New York and the city that shaped her, connected to judges who gave it the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic, the festival’s top directing award for narrative films. Netflix has also announced plans for its theatrical release ahead of the film’s streaming debut later this year.

The film has roots at Sundance, starting with a preview of the script in 2017 as part of the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriting Lab, and vetted for the Institute’s Directors Lab, a program for first-time filmmakers. Blank shot initial scenes and also met her production team, all of whom were first timers: editor Rob Wilson; producer Inuka Bacote; and costume designer head Sarah Williams. The crew shared “a New York pride and passionate investment in this project,” Blank’s ode to New York’s struggling artists and to the hip-hop and theater she grew up with.

In the spirit of earlier artists and to create a sophisticated yet vulnerable feel, Blank chose to shoot the film in black and white on 35mm film. In black and white “the characters of color look absolutely beautiful and sumptuous on screen,” Blank says. “And although the film takes place in current day, this medium pays an homage to the ‘80s and ‘90s era of old school hip-hop, when many of the genre’s music videos were made in black and white. It gives my film a nostalgic feel.” Blank chose locations throughout New York City—in Harlem, Sugar Hill, Brownsville, Midtown Manhattan, Chelsea and the Bronx.

Born and raised in New York City, Blank has been writing for theater and television for more than 20 years. She’s written for Nickelodeon’s The Backyardigans, Fox’s Empire and Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, on which she also served as a producer for two seasons. Blank has also written several plays including HappyFlowerNail, Casket Sharp, nannyland and the critically acclaimed SEED. She is a recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, a National Endowment for the Arts’ New Play Development Award (for SEED), and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow. Her artistic influences include Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Bernice McFadden, Queen Latifah, Lil’ Kim, Big L and Wu-Tang Clan.

For the past 20 years, Blank has also taught poetry, rap and filmmaking at after-school programs throughout New York City, where she encourages students to explore their creativity and find their voice. Teaching has helped Blank learn to direct, by having to think on her feet and get the best performances from students from diverse backgrounds, many of whom are living below the poverty line. Blank encourages her students to pursue their dreams no matter what their circumstances. “I’d always told young people over the years it’s very, very possible for them to create a viable career in the arts.” adds Blank, who was reunited with a former student working as a PA on the set of The 40-Year-Old Version. “I’m friends with many of my former students and feel a strong sense of responsibility towards them. They follow me and having her working on my set means I meant what I said.”

The Feb. 5 announcement that Netflix has picked up The 40-Year-Old Version means Blank’s film will be connected to, and inspire, an even wider audience. “As a new member of the Netflix family, I’m excited about the global audience that this film will reach,” Blank says. “I hope it will spark the next generation of fearless filmmakers in any part of the world.”

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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Umbra Stages in Newburgh

Sixty miles north of Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, in the historic city of Newburgh, Umbra Stages is helping fuel the robust growth of the film and television production and post-production industries across the Hudson Valley. Fully equipped stages, post-production suites, thousands of feet of shop space and furnished offices, dressing rooms, and a hands-on management team of experienced filmmakers have combined to make Umbra an attractive base for productions looking to take advantage of the myriad scenic locations, local crew base and up to 40% tax credits available in the picturesque Hudson Valley region.

Established in 2011 by owner Ted Doering in a 16,000-square-foot motorcycle parts warehouse, Umbra has undergone major upgrades in recent years. Many of the improvements came under the supervision of Summer Crockett Moore and Tony Glazer of Choice Films, independent producers with extensive production credits. “We took an exclusive year-long lease on the building in 2017 for the production of our series Big Dogs,” says Crockett Moore. “At the end of that production, as our lease was coming to an end, the owners asked us to consider staying on as managers of the facility. We signed a contract for a two-year trial term, and everything went so well, we just extended our contract for another three-plus years.” By ‘everything’ she means the string of projects they shepherded on Umbra stages like Here Today with Billy Crystal, Mob Town with David Arquette, The Winter House with Lili Taylor, and their biggest production to date, I Know This Much is True starring Mark Ruffalo, as identical twin brothers in a six-episode series for HBO that made Umbra its production headquarters for seven months last year.

“When we were looking for a space that could accommodate our complex and ever-evolving shoot in the Hudson Valley, Umbra really fit the bill,” said Gregg Fienberg, Executive Producer on I Know This Much Is True. “It was a pleasant surprise to find a large stage space of such professional quality and so close to our other filming locations in the area. And the staff could not have been more welcoming and helpful at every turn.”

Improvements implemented under Choice Films’ tenure include: a high-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure upgrade that allows for a fully secured private VPN for post-production/dailies; 3,500 square feet of additional, fully furnished office space (for a total of 7,500 square feet); dual editing stations (AVID or PREMIERE); wardrobe and commercial laundry suites; redesigns of the catering areas, dressing rooms and showers; and scenic shop upgrades with 6,000 square feet of dedicated scenic, construction and storage areas.

In 2019, The Hudson Valley Film Commission reported they assisted 25 productions with an estimated $46 million in direct regional spending, a 55% increase over 2018. Keeping pace with that growth means providing local skilled crew as well as great facilities. Umbra Stages and Choice Films have partnered with the City and Town of Newburgh, Orange County Film + Tourism Office and the Blacc Vanilla Community Foundation for an at-risk youth training program, Below the Line Bootcamp. To-date, three sessions of #BTLBootcamp have trained more than 30 graduates with 70% of those now working in the field on film sets. Choice Films partners with several regional Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and local high schools to take on interns during the year, training them for a variety of production jobs.

Umbra already has seven feature projects on the slate for this year (coming from California, Ohio and New York City) as well as holds for potential major TV projects they hope to secure. In mid-March Umbra will open another 20,000 square feet of space including a new 10,000-square-foot soundstage, a second kitchen/catering area, four new dressing rooms, and more offices and storage space. Doering also recently acquired a 45,000-square-foot building in New Windsor that is slated for two additional sound stages coming in 2020/2021, with plans for potential further expansion.

In addition to managing the production facility, Choice Films has a busy development roster, planning to produce three films this year and next. “And, our Big Dogs television series will be releasing world-wide this spring,” says Crockett Moore. “Season 2 is already fully written. We have high hopes for the future!”

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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March Is Full of New York-Based Project Premieres & Releases

March will see at least 15 projects premiering on big and small screens that were either produced or post-produced in New York—from feature films including John Krasinski’s long-awaited sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, starring Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy, to new and returning television series. Collectively, these movies and television shows have generated more than $289 million in direct production spending across New York and created more than 10,000 new hires.

In Krasinski’s A Quiet Place Part II, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown—on a journey shot almost entirely in Western New York—they realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.

“Filming in the Buffalo area was a fabulous experience from beginning to end. The area was so welcoming, and the community was happy to have us there,” said Executive Producer JoAnn Perritano. “Shooting in upstate New York was not our original plan, but when we were able to find the perfect locations and realized that filming upstate offered a bump in the New York State Film Tax Credit program, it just made sense, so we locked in our decision.”

Perritano adds that “the Buffalo/Niagara Film Commission provided unparalleled service and made it possible for us to do difficult things that we would never have been able to do anywhere else. Thanks to them, we worked in the town of Akron for three months and were able to completely close it for eight days. We also closed South Grand Island Bridge for half a day.” The closures were needed in order to control activity and facilitate stunt work on Main Street in Akron and to detour traffic for necessary shots on the Grand Island Bridge, as seen in the film’s trailer. March television premieres include the second seasons of Showtime’s Black Monday, starring Don Cheadle and Andrew Rannells, about a group of outsiders that takes on the 1980s boys club of Wall Street, and The CW Network’s Roswell, New Mexico, about a town where aliens with unearthly abilities live undercover among humans. Also premiering are the seventh season of NBC’s The Blacklist, starring James Spader and Megan Boone and HBO’s The Plot Against America, starring Winona Ryder, Zoe Kazan and John Turturro. Set in New Jersey, this HBO mini-series was filmed in New York and is based on the Philip Roth novel about an alternative history in which Charles Lindbergh defeated Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940 U.S. presidential election. Other films making their debut in March include:

Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, winner of the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Neo-Realism at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and picked up for distribution by Focus Features. While partially set in Pennsylvania, the film shot entirely in New York State.

Swallow, a psychological thriller that filmed in Ulster County and had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

Human Capital, starring Liev Schreiber, Marisa Tomei and Peter Sarsgaard, which had its world premiere at 2019 Toronto Film Festival. The film, called a “sleeper hit” when shown at the Hamptons International Film Festival, has had North American rights picked up by Vertical Entertainment and DirectTV.

The Climb, which also screened at Sundance, won the Un Certain Regard-Jury Coup de Coeur award in Cannes last year and was nominated for Best First Feature at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards. The feature was filmed in Putnam County in New York’s lower Mid-Hudson region.

From American High Productions, three films open in March— all of which filmed at Syracuse Studios in Liverpool, N.Y.:

Banana Split, a teen comedy that was recently acquired by Vertical Entertainment for distribution.

Holly Slept Over, a comedy written and directed by Joshua Friedlander in his directorial debut.

Big Time Adolescence, starring Pete Davidson, Machine Gun Kelly and Jon Cryer. The film will debut in select theaters, followed by its streaming debut on Hulu.

Several films that did their post-production work in New York also will be released in March, including:

A24’s First Cow, starring John Magaro, Orion Lee and Rene Auberjonois;

Bleecker Street Media’s The Roads Not Taken, starring Elle Fanning, Javier Bardem, and Salma Hayek;

Amazon Studios’ Blow the Man Down, written and directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy.

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Niche Businesses Grow With New York’s Production Industry

Everyone recognizes the big equipment—the trucks and trailers, the cranes and the lighting rigs—that indicate a movie or TV show is shooting nearby. Less obvious are the eclectic items known as “expendables”—from coils of ropes to director’s chairs and camera filters—necessary in film production. The New York 411 production guide lists 34 businesses for “Grip & Lighting Expendables” alone. As New York’s film industry has grown, so has the need for expendables, which is great news for businesses including Wits End, Expressway Cinema Rentals and Expendables Plus, Inc.

Wits End started 20 years ago with two people working out of an expendables-filled truck, traveling from production to production to sell their wares. Today the company boasts two brick and mortar locations—one in Long Island City and another in Manhattan—and about 20 full and part-time employees. The seemingly endless list of items in Wits End inventory (their eight-page order form lists some 700 items) now includes vans, trucks and SUVs for rental and deliveries. The company also can custom-fit a van or truck depending on a production’s needs. President and CEO Keith Guliner says it’s not unusual for a typical series to purchase hundreds of rolls of various kinds of tape and hanks (100 ft. coils) of recyclable rope. The company also offers pre-packaged specialty “Wits Kits” to anticipate the unexpected, weather-related or otherwise: a Rain Kit (ponchos, paper towels, umbrellas etc.); a Breakfast Kit (coffee stirrers, can opener, sweeteners, etc.); and a Tape Kit (48 rolls of 31 tape varieties). At first, Guliner says the company mostly serviced commercials. Now, thanks to the New York State Film Tax Credit Program attracting more film and television productions, they’ve serviced a growing number of series including The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU and Saturday Night Live. “The state tax incentive program has proven to be essential to the film/tv industry,” Guliner says. “We must keep the shows coming in and incentives are the key.”

Other expendables companies are expanding to New York State. On Feb. 10, Expressway Cinema Rentals – a Philadelphia-based camera and lighting rental and expendables company servicing Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the New York City metro area for the past decade–opened a second location in Rochester, N.Y. Expressway’s staff quality and unmatched technical expertise has made them a preferred rental house. In addition to expendables, Expressway Cinema offers the latest cameras from ARRI, BlackMagic Design, Canon, RED and Sony for rent, as well as lighting and grip equipment. “Our decision to expand to Upstate New York was encouraged by the existing infrastructure of studios and highly skilled crews,” says Owner/CTO Zac Rubino. “It was clear that the quality of production happening Upstate was excellent and that our equipment rental and expendables services would be an asset for productions shooting in the region. We landed in Rochester because of the variety of qualified tax incentive facilities, the quality work coming from commercial production companies and advertising agencies, as well as the ease of access to Syracuse, Buffalo and Ithaca markets.” Brooklyn-based Expendables Plus, Inc. (EPI), run by Marie V. Samowitz, is one of the few woman-owned expendables houses in New York City. In addition to their extensive inventory of expendables, including light bulbs, diffusion filters, electrical wiring and tape (gaffer tape, paper tape, construction tape, etc.) they also provide a range of rentals including make-up mirrors, pop-up tents, hampers, director’s chairs and wardrobe racks. EPI’s recent clients include New Amsterdam, FBI, The Politician, The Good Fight and Saturday Night Live. They also work with a number of film students. Samowitz agrees that the tax credits draw customers. “The NYS tax incentive program continues to attract more productions,” she says. “And that is good for business.” The expendables business adds up to create a big economic impact in New York State, one that is vital to New York’s growing film and television industry.

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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Save the Date: Film Festivals and Events

Film festivals and industry events take place in New York State throughout the year. The following is a list of upcoming festivals and industry events: New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival—Through March 2 The 23rd Anniversary Edition of the NYSJFF provides viewers with an understanding of the rich mosaic culture of Jews from the Middle East and greater Sephardic Diaspora. Contemporary voices steeped in history and tradition are celebrated through this two-week series of events, including première screenings, intriguing stories, powerful documentaries, director Q&As, and The Pomegranate Awards Ceremony.

New York International Children’s Film Festival – Through March 15 Founded in 1997, the New York International Children’s Film Festival supports the creation and dissemination of thoughtful, provocative, and intelligent films for children and teens ages 3-18. The festival cultivates an appreciation for the arts, encourages active, discerning viewing and stimulates lively discussion among peers, families and the film community.

Athena Film Festival – Feb. 27 - March 1 Held at Barnard College, the Athena Film Festival is a weekend of inspiring films that tell the extraordinary stories of fierce and fearless women leaders. Over the last 10 years, the Festival has welcomed more than 35,000 people from all over the world to 200+ screenings of narratives, documentaries, and shorts that feature diverse stories of ambition, courage, and resilience.

New York WILD Film Festival—Feb. 27 - March 1 New York WILD™ is the first annual documentary film festival in New York to showcase a spectrum of topics, from exploration and adventure to wildlife, conservation and the environment, bringing all things WILD to one of the most urban cities in the world.

Rendez-Vous With French Cinema—March 5-15 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema returns with another edition that exemplifies the variety and vitality of contemporary French filmmaking. The films on display, by emerging talents and established masters, raise ideas both topical and eternal, and many take audiences to entirely unexpected places.

Inwood Film Festival – March 13-15 The festival celebrates and showcases the Inwood community through the moving image, presenting independent films made in the neighborhood or by Inwood-based filmmakers.

Socially Relevant Film Festival NY – March 18-22 Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Socially Relevant Film Festival NY aims to raise awareness towards social issues through the powerful medium of cinema.

GLAAD Media Awards (NYC) – March 19 The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives.

Queens World Film Festival – March 19-29 Turning 10 in 2020, QWFF includes an annual multi-day/multi-venue festival, youth-oriented educational initiatives and year-round screening opportunities for QWFF filmmakers, past and present. The festival is programmed in thematic blocks with evocative titles, and each program is followed by a post-screening dialogue to engage audiences from the demographically diverse communities that comprise the borough of Queens.

New York City Short Comedy Film Festival—March 22 Come prepared to laugh at the fifth annual New York City Short Comedy Film Festival that features only films 20 minutes or less in length.

New York City International Film Festival—March 23-27 With a well-earned reputation, nationally and internationally as one of the most respected events of the film festival year, the New York City International Film Festival is committed to bringing the best of the world's cinematography to New York City and to providing a platform for established and upcoming talented filmmakers from the US and around the world to showcase their films.

CineKink NYC – March 18-22 The 17th annual CineKinc NYC will feature a carefully-curated program of films and videos that celebrates and explores the wide diversity of sexuality/ Works range from documentary to drama, camp comedy to artsy experimental, mildly spicy to quite explicit — and everything in between.

African American Women In Cinema Film Festival – March 26-28 African American Women In Cinema (AAWIC) organization has served as a continuous support for the vibrant work of women filmmakers for the past 20 years, with the mission to expand, explore and create business opportunities for minority women filmmakers throughout the entertainment industry.

NYS Writers Institute Albany Film Festival – March 28 A celebration of storytelling on screen, the kickoff to the inaugural Albany Film Festival will include illuminating the night sky and the exterior of the Science Library on the uptown UAlbany campus with a dazzling 3-D immersive light show.

New York Metropolitan Screenwriting Competition – March 30 To celebrate everything about New York, emerging screenwriters are invited to submit their work, giving New York talent an opportunity to further their careers by connecting with agents and managers who could represent them to production executives.

New Directors/New Films – March 25 – April 5 The festival introduces New York audiences to the work of emerging filmmakers from around the world, celebrating a group of filmmakers who represent the present and anticipate the future of cinema and includes daring artists whose work pushes the envelope. Presented by Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art.

Reelabilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival – March 31 – April 6 The largest festival in the U.S. dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. The festival presents international and award-winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout the city. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.

Transparent Film Festival - April 2-4 The Transparent Film Festival ("TFF") is based in the heart of New York City's buzzing East Village. TFF is only for independent filmmakers. It's not for production companies, not for studios, but only for the individual who puts his or her blood, sweat and tears into telling a story using moving images.

Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival – April 8-11 The Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival (BHFF) is an exciting showcase for contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian cinematography, and films with Bosnia and Herzegovina as their theme. Each year, BHFF brings a colorful tableau of Bosnian and Herzegovinian stories to diverse New York City audiences.

St. Francis College Women’s Film Festival – April 15-18 The festival is committed to celebrating emerging and established female filmmakers and strives to recognize new and original voices within the St. Francis College community and other university communities, as well as in the international emerging film community.

Tribeca International Film Festival – April 15-26 The Tribeca Film Festival is a prominent film festival held in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, showcasing a diverse selection of independent films. Since its inaugural year in 2002, it has become a recognized outlet for independent filmmakers in all genres to release their work to a broad audience.

SUNY Wide Film Festival – April 17-19 Film and video are a thriving field of study throughout the SUNY system. From the traditional Hollywood narrative to animation, experimental film and video to documentary work, students and faculty are exploring personal visions through time-based image making. The SUNY Wide Film Festival provides a platform to highlight the work that best exemplifies the dedication and skill found across the SUNY system.

Manhattan Film Festival – April 23 – May 7 The Manhattan Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 2006 by filmmakers Philip J. Nelson and Jose Ruiz, Jr. and is currently operated by Nelson and a team of filmmakers, journalists and exhibitors. It was founded as the Independent Features Film Festival.

New York Indian Film Festival – April 27 - May 3 Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, Inc. NYIFF Celebrates alternative, independent cinema from the global Indian community. The festival is dedicated to providing filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals a platform to showcase their work, as well as creating an environment where filmmakers may exchange ideas with one another, and interact with discerning and diverse audiences, journalists, and aficionados.

Blackbird Film Fest – April 30 - May 3 The festival is FREE for all to attend and prides itself on the high quality of films and filmmakers that fill the 10+ screening blocks throughout the weekend. Each year Blackbird screens 120 - 150 films with an emphasis on short form production. In addition to the many wonderful films, Blackbird also offers a variety of mentorship opportunities, workshops, and industry talks geared toward the seasoned professional as well as the first-time director.

One Take Film Festival – April 30 – May 3 This Rochester film festival has grown out of the Little Theatre's highly successful monthly documentary series that began in 2012. It celebrates and promotes the art of non-fiction filmmaking and stimulates public understanding and appreciation of the documentary film. Over the course of four days, the art of documentary filmmaking will be celebrated in its many forms with films that inspire, surprise, challenge, enlighten and entertain us.

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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Save the Date: TV Premieres and Film Releases

New York State production premieres and releases continue to roll out. Below is a list of upcoming release/premiere dates of television shows and films that participated in New York State’s Film Tax Credit program. Holly Slept Over – March 3 – Destination Films A comedy that follows the relationship struggles of a newly married couple, the older neighbors who have lost their spark, and the tension that ensues when an old college roommate stays over for the weekend. Starring: Josh Lawson, Britt Lower, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ron Livingston (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

First Cow – March 6 – A24 A loner and skilled cook has traveled West and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant, also seeking his fortune. Soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. Starring: John Magaro, Orion Lee (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

Swallow – March 6 – IFC Films Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession. Starring: Haley Bennett, Elizabeth Marvel, Austin Stowell (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Big Time Adolescence – March 13 (Limited) – Hulu A suburban teenager comes of age under the destructive guidance of his best friend, an aimless college dropout. Starring: Pete Davidson, Griffin Gluck, Sydney Sweeney, Jon Cryer (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always - March 13 – Focus Features Two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy. Starring: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Ryan Eggold (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

The Roads Not Taken – March 13 - Bleeker Street Media A turbulent 24 hours in the life of a father and daughter, grappling with the challenges of dealing with her father's chaotic mental state. Starring: Elle Fanning, Salma Hayek, Javier Bardem (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

Black Monday – Season 2 – March 15 – Showtime October 19, 1987, aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in the history of Wall Street. To this day, no one knows who caused it - until now. This is the story of how a group of outsiders took on the blue-blood, old-boys club of Wall Street and ended up crashing the world's largest financial system. Starring: Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells, Regina Hall (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

The Plot Against America – March 16 – HBO A working-class Jewish family in New Jersey watches the political rise of aviator-hero and xenophobic populist Charles Lindbergh, as he becomes president and turns the nation toward fascism. This six-part re-imagining of history is based on the Philip Roth novel of the same name. Starring: Winona Ryder, John Turturro, Zoe Kazan (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Roswell, New Mexico – Season 2 – March 16 – CW Network A reimagining of Roswell, which centers on the residents of New Mexico, where aliens live undercover among humans. Starring: Janine Mason, Nathan Parsons, Michael Vlamis (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

A Quiet Place Part II – March 20 – Paramount Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path. Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

The Blacklist – Season 7 – March 20 – NBC The series continues to follow a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal, who voluntarily surrenders to the FBI after eluding capture for decades. Starring: James Spader, Megan Boone (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

The Climb – March 20 – Sony Pictures Classic The Climb is about a tumultuous but enduring relationship between two men across many years of laughter, heartbreak and rage. It is also the story of real-life best friends who turn their profound connection into a rich, humane and frequently uproarious film about the boundaries (or lack thereof) in all close friendships. Starring: Michael Covino, Kyle Martin (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Blow The Man Down – March 20 – Amazon Studios Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly attempt to cover up a gruesome run-in with a dangerous man. To conceal their crime, the sisters must go deep into the criminal underbelly of their hometown, uncovering the town's darkest secrets. Starring: Sophie Lowe, Morgan Saylor, David Coffin (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

Human Capital – March 20 – Vertical Entertainment & DirecTV The lives of two different families collide when their children begin a relationship that leads to a tragic accident. Starring: Liev Schreiber, Marisa Tomei, Maya Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production) Banana Split – March 27 – Vertical Entertainment Over the course of a summer, two teenage girls develop the perfect kindred spirit friendship, with one big problem: one of them is dating the other's ex. Starring: Tasha Babers, Tyler Barnes, Jacob Batalon (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production) The Artist’s Wife – April 3 – Strand Releasing The wife of a renowned abstract artist is plunged into a late-life crisis when her husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and is in danger of not completing the paintings for his final show. Starring: Lena Olin, Bruce Dern, Juliet Rylance (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production) Lazy Susan – April 3 – Shout! Factory A slice-of-life comedy about a woman on the edge with nowhere to go but over, Lazy Susan is a story about a spectacularly unmotivated woman for whom doing nothing is exhausting. Starring: Sean Hayes, Allison Janney, Matthew Broderick (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Bad Education – April 25 – HBO Max Based on a true story, this film follows the unfolding of the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in history. Starring: Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ray Romano (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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New York State Parks Play Leading Roles in Film & Television

New York’s 215 state parks cover the gamut of unique and sought-after locations for film and television productions—from campsites, beaches and golf courses to hiking trails, historic homes and nature centers. State parks in the Mid-Hudson region topped the film production list in 2019, with more than 100 permits granted to productions by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation (NYSOPRHP). Filmmakers’ top locations included Rockland Lake State Park in Rockland County, where cameras rolled on shows including The Blacklist (NBC), FBI: Most Wanted (CBS), Ray Donovan (Showtime), and The Sinner (USA). The Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Westchester County is also a big draw, standing in on camera for Alaska and Ohio, and, most recently, for Germany in Amazon’s upcoming limited series Hunters, starring Al Pacino.

Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid credits a strong interagency relationship with the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development. “Our staff work hard to maintain public access to our parks and historic sites, while making these unique places available to the film industry,” he said. “Our visitors often get a thrill from seeing their beloved places in a new light on the screen, and our state’s exceptional landscapes and landmarks get incomparable promotion in a wide variety of films and television programs.”

State parks in other regions have also starred in front of the camera, including Long Island’s Jones Beach, which has hosted the Starz series Hightown, NBC’s Blindspot, and hit the big screen in November in the Edward Norton-directed film, Motherless Brooklyn. On Long Island’s North Shore, Caumsett State Park’s turn-of-the-century stables and barns, along with the historic Marshall Fields Mansion, have all made appearances in HBO’s Succession and The Plot Against America. Further inland, Bethpage State Park’s made appearances in episodes of Dickinson (Apple TV) and Madam Secretary (CBS). Of course, New York City gets lots of big-screen billing thanks to stellar skyline views from Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City and FDR Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. Since 2018, 82 state park permits have been issued to productions in the NYC Region, including Law & Order: SVU (NBC), High Fidelity (Hulu) and Blue Bloods (CBS). New York’s 6 million-acre Adirondack Park is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States - greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and the Grand Canyon combined. And the park is a celluloid star. In 2019, the independent film Black Bear shot there and in January made its premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Click here to find out more about New York’s incredible state parks.

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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On the Road—in New York State—with The Irishman

Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-nominated film The Irishman is set in half a dozen states—yet almost all of the 117 scripted locations were filmed right here in New York State. That’s fitting for Scorsese, a native New Yorker. “Incredibly we were able to find almost everything, whether urban, suburban, or rural all within 45 miles of New York City,” said Kip Myers, the movie’s location manager. The film is a retelling of the still-unsolved murder of Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa based on the confession of Frank Sheeran, played in the movie by Robert DeNiro. A pivotal scene where Sheeran meets with crime boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) takes place, according to the script, at a truck stop on Pennsylvania’s Interstate 80. But New York got the part.

“The script called for five different period working gas stations, which was a major challenge for our scouting team,” Myers explained. “We found the truck stop location in Ardsley, N.Y., just off the Saw Mill River Parkway. The old stone buildings are part of the W.E. Macy Park, but sat unused for over 25 years. Our art department transformed them beautifully into a 1950s period Texaco and Stuckey’s Restaurant. Such a visually amazing location for these characters to meet, and to later reflect upon as they make their way halfway across the country on a mission that will change the course of American history.”

In addition to the “truck stop” location, the film’s most memorable scenes took place from Long Island to Orange County.

Sheeran spent a day with Jimmy Hoffa and the family eating ice cream and playing mini-golf, with Salisbury Mills locations including Weir’s Ice Cream doubling for their onscreen Michigan locales.

They blew up a car in front of a “Detroit” bar called Nemo’s Bar & Grill that was actually filmed on Staten Island.

The period-perfect Howard Johnson’s motel, set in Ohio, was a transformed Rodeway Inn in Huntington Station, Long Island, where the characters sunned themselves by a pool and Sheeran received his murderous marching orders.

The Red Fox Restaurant in Pontiac, Mich., where Hoffa was last seen alive? That scene took place at the Spook Rock Golf Course in Montebello.

And the Michigan home where Sheeran claims to have killed Hoffa? A house on a suburban street in White Plains.

“Our directive was to find everything in New York,” added Myers, “and New York definitely delivered.” Nominated for 10 Oscars and recent winner of the Critic’s Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble, The Irishman is already a New York classic.

To find out more about the film and to watch the trailer, click here.

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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Dressing Joker

How growing NYS film and television production boosts New York’s small businesses

The making of any hit feature film involves a cast of hundreds, if not thousands, from vendors to crew to cast members. A closer look at a few of the small family businesses that were among the more than 545 companies and individuals in New York State that supported the making of this year’s top-nominated Joker—specifically those contributing to the Warner Bros. film’s nomination for Costume Design—spotlights the robust network of vendors that are critical in bringing films like Joker to life. The highly skilled craftspeople, vendors and specialty suppliers who created custom suits, shirts, ties, shoes for Joker, which earned a total of 11 Academy Award nominations, also reflect the economic impact that the growth in film and television production has had on the New York State economy and on all of the businesses involved.

Mark Bridges led a team of more than 22 coordinators, buyers, tailors and assistants in designing and creating Joker’s costumes. But he also relied upon businesses like New York City’s Giliberto Designs to help create the Joker’s distinctive red suit and suits for the characters of young Bruce Wayne and Alfred the butler. Giliberto’s “started out in retail and wholesale” in 1979, creating “custom suits for doctors, lawyers” and “upscale business” professionals,” says co-owner Anthony Giliberto. Twenty years ago, the entertainment business came calling with wardrobe orders—starting with Broadway musicals and followed by films and television shows. The pace has picked up dramatically in the past three to four years with the rise of streaming services like Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and Apple+. “At this point the film/TV shows make up about 80% of our business,” says Giliberto, who employs 16 people including tailors, cutters, seamstresses and pressers. In addition to Joker, the business has supplied custom clothes for shows like The Irishman, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and many more. “Without these shows, I could not afford to stay here,” he says. “I’d have to scale down and move out of New York City.”

Another New York City business, Beckenstein Men’s Fabric, provided much of the fabric for Joker’s costume department, and has supplied fabric for other productions shooting in New York. Jon Boyarsky, a fourth-generation owner of the business, echoes Giliberto’s observation that the recent growth in film and television production has become essential to the economic survival of New York’s garment industry. Without it, “most of the fabric suppliers in New York would be out of business,” Boyarsky says.

Joker’s ties were created by John Kochis Custom Designs, a 31-year New York City-based maker of custom neckwear, suspenders and cummerbunds. John Kochis says his film and television customers have at least doubled in recent years and believes productions come to New York because the level of craftsmanship available here is unmatched. “Nobody does what I do the way I do it,” Kochis says. For Men in Black 3, Kochis had to create three different sets of skinny black ties for the actors, varying each set by 1/8” in width to reflect the three different time periods covered in the film. The business has also created ties for many other feature films including The Irishman and Men in Black, as well as series including Gotham (Fox) and Hunters (Amazon).

All told, the contributions of these businesses add up to a sizeable economic impact. The Motion Picture Association estimates that 87% of more than 93,000 film and television industry-related businesses around the country employ fewer than 10 people. In the New York State film production industry, small is big. Seven films shot or posted in New York State garnered 37 Oscar nominations this year. Those films represent an estimated 7,400 hires and $235 million in NY spend, much of it at small, family-owned businesses like the ones that made the Joker, and others, look Oscar-worthy.

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nyslovesfilm · 4 years

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Save the Date: TV Premieres and Film Releases

New York State production premieres and releases continue strong into 2020. Below is a list of upcoming release/premiere dates of television shows and films that participated in New York State’s production and post-production tax credit programs.

Katy Keene – Season 1 - Feb. 6 – Warner Bros./The CW A group of aspiring artists from Riverdale try to make it on Broadway. Starring: Lucy Hale, Ashleigh Murray, Jonny Beauchamp, Julia Chan (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

The Sinner – Season 3 – Feb. 6 – USA Network Detective Harry Ambrose begins a routine investigation of a tragic car accident on the outskirts of Dorchester, in upstate New York. He uncovers a hidden crime that pulls him into the most dangerous and disturbing case of his career. Starring: Bill Pullman, Matt Bomer, Jessica Hecht (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Tommy – Season 1 – Feb. 6 – CBS A former high-ranking NYPD officer becomes the first female chief of police for Los Angeles. Starring: Edie Falco, Michael Chernus, Adelaide Clemens (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made – Feb. 7 – Disney An 11-year old boy who believes that he is the best detective in town runs the agency Total Failures with his best friend, an imaginary 1,200-pound polar bear. Starring: Winslow Fegley, Ophelia Lovibond, Wallace Shawn (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

High Maintenance – Season 4 – Feb. 7 – HBO A comedy that explores the private lives of unique New York individuals through a common thread: their weed deliveryman. Starring: Ben Sinclair (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

For Life – Season 1 – Feb. 11 – ABC A prisoner becomes a lawyer and fights to overturn his life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. Starring: Russell Fein, Mario Van Peebles, Charles Martin (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

High Fidelity – Season 1 – Feb. 14 – ABC/Hulu Rob, a fan of music, pop culture and Top Five lists runs a local record store in her hometown. An adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel "High Fidelity". Starring: Zoë Kravitz, David H. Holmes, Jake Lacy (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

The Photograph – Feb. 14 – Universal Pictures Following the death of her mother, Mae Morton must learn the secrets in her mother’s past if she is to move forward and allow herself to love and be loved. Starring: Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Spy Intervention – Feb. 14 – Cinedigm Entertainment Group When the world's greatest spy meets the woman of his dreams, he abandons his adventurous existence and settles into the security of suburbia. Starring: Drew Van Acker, Poppy Delevingne, Blake Anderson (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Hunters - Season 1 - Feb. 21 – Amazon A diverse band of Nazi hunters living in 1977 New York City discovers hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the U.S. The eclectic team will set out on a bloody quest to bring them to justice. Starring: Al Pacino, Logan Lerman (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Impractical Jokers – Feb. 21 – TruTV The story of a humiliating high school mishap from 1992 that sends the Impractical Jokers on the road competing in hidden-camera challenges for the chance to turn back the clock and redeem three of the four Jokers. Starring: Joe Gatto, James Murray, Sal Vulcano (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

Premature – Feb. 21 – Relic Pictures Set against the backdrop of a changing Harlem landscape, when 17-year-old Ayanna meets handsome and mysterious outsider Isaiah, her entire world is turned upside down on her path towards self-discovery as she travails the rigorous terrain of young love the summer before she leaves for college. Starring: Zora Howard, Joshua Boone, Michelle Wilson (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

All the Bright Places – Feb. 28 – Netflix The story of Violet and Theodore, who meet and change each other's lives forever. As they struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they discover that even the smallest places and moments can mean something. Starring: Elle Fanning, Justice Smith, Virginia Gardner (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)

The Jesus Rolls – Feb. 28 – Screen Media Films A spinoff of The Big Lebowski, it’s a film about a trio of misfits whose irreverent, sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser, their journey becomes one of constant escape from the law, from society and from the hairdresser, all while the bonds of their outsider family strengthen. Starring: Michael Badalucco, Sônia Braga, Bobby Cannavale (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Production)

Wendy – Feb. 28 – Searchlight Pictures The classic story of Peter Pan is wildly reimagined in this ragtag epic. Lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up. Starring: Devin France, Yashua Mack, Gage & Gavin Naquin (Participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program – Post Production)