East End Studios has officially opened the doors on its Sunnyside Campus in Queens, the latest film and television production studio to debut in New York City.
Jonathon Yormak, founding partner cut the ribbon today with NYC film commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman, Yoni Bokser, head of of the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development and other officials. New York has seen an uptick in new studio developments coinciding with the state passing sweeter production incentives in its latest budget earlier this year.
The $260 million, 350,000-square foot project, the city hopes, will further strengthen New York’s position as a hub for film and television production against rival states and overseas hubs. It broke ground on the project in November of 2023.
The campus features four full-service sound stages spanning 91,000 square feet. The three primary stages range from 19,000 to 29,000 square feet and each has 37’ clear heights.
The project also houses a 15,000 square foot rooftop flex-stage featuring 26’ clear heights and outdoor terraces with sweeping views of the Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan skylines.
The stages are supported by 125,000 square feet of production, office, and mill spaces, 225 below-grade parking spaces, and eight enclosed loading bays at grade servicing full size trucks. Like all East End Studios’ projects, the Sunnyside facility will be fully integrated with XR/VR infrastructure, including the capability to shoot on a virtual stage, and high-speed fiber connectivity with scalable production-level internet.
It will be managed by CEO Craig Chapman with Michael Manas serving as VP & General Manager of Operations.
The Sunnyside Campus — positioned on a full city block between Queens Boulevard and the Long Island Expressway and a short walk to the 7-train and Long Island Railroad — is the newest studio to open within East End’s portfolio after LA’s East End Studio’s Glendale. East End’s Mission Campus, also in LA, is set to open in January.
“New York City’s production industry is showing promising growth and there remains a clear need for world-class, fully integrated stage campuses. With the Sunnyside Campus, we’re introducing a level of workflow efficiency and excellence that’s always a priority for producers and locations scouts in this great city,” said Yormak. “We’re proud to contribute to New York’s expanding role in the global production landscape and grateful to mark this milestone alongside our valued partners at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the NYCIDA, and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.”
“We are thrilled with the addition of East End Studios to NYC’s film & television production infrastructure, which promises to play a role in providing jobs to NYC based crew members and supporting small businesses in Sunnyside Queens,” said Swinney Kaufman. “Combined with recent extensions to the state film tax credit, increases to our local crew base through ‘Made in NY’ training programs, and a ‘City of Yes’ attitude in terms of filming, the future is bright for our film and TV production industry.”
Robert De Niro’s Wildflower Studios opened earlier this year in Astoria. Borden Studios recently opened in Long Island City. Steiner Studios and the New York City Economic Development Corporation broke ground on a outpost in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and construction is underway on Sunset Pier 94 on the far West Side of midtown Manhattan. New entrants will join historic Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, Silvercup Studio and its expansion, Silvercup Studios East, in Long Island City, and Broadway Stages in Brooklyn.
