Local filmmakers: NYC Media and Entertainment Commissioner Rafael Espinal wants to hear from you!
This fall, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) has launched its first “Made in NY” Filmmaker Listening Tour, a five-stop run across every borough. New York wants to make it easier to make films here (shout out to California).
Thanks to another new initiative, filmmakers across New York City are getting an opportunity to ask lots of questions and gripe about their filming headaches. Espinal and Deputy Commissioner of the Film Office Kwame Amoaku will lead each FREE session.
Queens stop: Queens World Film Festival First Amendment Film and Arts Festival – “Made in NY” Filmmaker Listening Tour: Friday, Nov. 13, 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria (RSVP HERE).
Photo courtesy of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment – “Made in NY” Filmmaker Listening Tour
Espinal’s leadership centers on supporting creative workers, creating pathways into media and cultural careers and reinforcing NYC as the place to create.
“We want to hear about how we can support YOU – our local talent. This is your chance to shape how the city supports you and your fellow independent filmmakers by sharing direct feedback on production incentives, permitting, city resources and more,” Espinal said in a statement. “Our office has launched the first-ever ‘Made in NY’ Filmmaker Listening Tour to hear directly from filmmakers about the barriers they face and what they need from City government to be successful. It’s all part of our plan to make NYC the most frictionless place in the world to film.”
Filmmakers, students and working crews can weigh in about their challenges and personal experiences – “the good, the bad and “the ugly” – while filming on NYC’s streets, and get helpful and valuable information, as well as updates on MOME services.
Ask anyone trying to make a film in Gotham, and they’ll likely tell you it can be a real pain in the butt. Some challenges they may face: When shooting in New York, you can’t shut down streets or find parking for your crew. It’s complicated.
There are many hurdles to overcome in this crazy but amazing city.
While “Daredevil,” “The Punisher,” “Spider-Man 2” and “Spider-Man 3” all filmed in NYC, unfortunately, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” — which was released over the summer — wasn’t. Instead, it was shot in Glasgow, Scotland. Apparently, there was a permit issue.
But Espinal seems optimistic and quite confident that NYC is in the middle of the biggest film comeback in years. He’s focused on strengthening and expanding the city’s creative economy, revitalizing film and television production in our city and ensuring that the folks who power the industries can afford to live and work here.
Despite encountering some misconceptions, he insists that NY is making it easier to film here.
Dear Spider-Man, Please come home. All the best, The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment spiderman nyc newyorkcity tomholland
♬ original sound – NYC Media & Entertainment 🎥
Actually, back in the day, filming in New York wasn’t always as easy as it is today. In the 1960s, producers often required over 50 permits to shoot in the city, and gaining access to some of New York’s hottest locations was tricky, at best. And producers were required to obtain a permit for every single day of production.
Astoria filmmaker Erik Potempa shot his award-winning comedy short “Geezers” in Astoria Park. Starring Dan Lauria and Cedric Cannon, it explored the bond between two outspoken Vietnam veterans navigating life in a gentrifying neighborhood.
Offering his take on MOME’s new initiative, he told QNS: “This sounds really great. Interested to see what comes out of it. Ultimately, I think budget is the biggest obstacle to making movies. Yes, technology is better than ever and more available than ever, and we, as indie filmmakers, put a lot of our focus on making more with less, but making movies is still expensive.”
“I think we lose a lot of talented filmmakers, who simply can’t afford to continue making films if their first one or two don’t get into a big festival or go viral on the internet. It would be great if the mayor could include lower budget films in this new initiative. I think it would undoubtedly lead to a more diverse and creative talent pool and allow the actual cream more opportunity to rise to the top.”
Potempa added: “Obviously, tax incentives are very helpful. However, they usually require a minimum of at least a $1 million budget. This is great for studios and established production companies, and those working for them. But pretty much all short films, short-form content and low-budget features are excluded. These are typically new director/writer/producer(s) spending their savings or borrowing money or running up a credit card bill (and going into debt) to make a film that will at best serve as a calling card to help them break into the business.”
“That’s my two cents. Excited to see what happens!”
The determined filmmaker told QNS that he’s still plugging away with “Geezers” – sending it out and meeting with production companies. And he’s planning on signing up for the Filmmaker Listening Tour, however, he may be shooting another project that week, so it depends on the timing.
A multi-talented creative from Queens, who found greener pastures in LA, Barry Rothbart’s work spans documentary filmmaking, television, acting and writing. Most recently, he produced, co-wrote and shot the 2026 SXSW Film and TV Festival Jury Award winner, “Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story” (Directed by Ayden Mayeri). This unique doc will be premiering in NYC on Nov. 15 (6:45 p.m.) at Village East by Angelika (Angelika Theatre), 181-189 2nd Ave., in Manhattan. Afterwards, a Q&A featuring the director and producers. DOC NYC (film website) Tickets: Paid; available via DOC NYC and SeeItEarly.
The film blends archival camcorder footage, personal diaries and candid interviews, offering both a musical chronicle and a heartfelt reflection on friendship, creativity and growing up.
Weighing in about the Filmmaker Listening Tour, Rothbart told QNS: “This is such a great initiative by Mamdani. Honestly, I just haven’t had enough experience on the producing side, setting up ‘official’ shoots in NYC. I’ve acted in many things. And the things I’ve filmed as director/producer have been more documentary or shooting for major companies.”
He added: “The one thing I will say is that parking is a huge issue in NYC, especially with smaller film/content productions. It makes it nearly impossible to bring out equipment vans, production cars, etc. And usually, I get many tickets. If there can be parking help for smaller productions – maybe giving them special permits, that would be incredibly helpful. In Los Angeles, there’s no parking issues at all.”
Things are really looking up, according to a recent Variety piece: “Sets and the City: Why New York’s Film and TV Business Is Booming.” New York Film and TV Tax Incentive Drives Production Boom – Variety. Ethan Shanfeld writes: “Now, the city’s soundstages are reaching capacity and productions are flooding the streets of the Big Apple, from ‘The Gilded Age’ to ‘American Horror Story’ to the upcoming ‘Exorcist’ movie. The budget enhancements convinced “The Devil Wears Prada 2” to remain in New York, which supported more than 1,400 local cast and crew members and engaged 550 local vendors. According to Empire State Development, New York’s economic development agency, the 46-day shoot generated $67.9 million in total economic activity and $45.8 million in local wages.
“After six years of unsteadiness, the state’s film and television business is booming: Production spending rose 57% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, to nearly $1.06 billion, with 19% more projects shooting,” said Adam Gordon, a real estate developer who — with Robert De Niro and his son Raphael De Niro — co-founded Wildflower Studios, a sleek compound in Astoria with modular soundstages and sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. “The tax incentives are oxygen. You can’t live without them.”
Owners of Steiner, Silvercup and Wildflower Studios — three of the biggest soundstage and production facilities in NYC — told IndieWire back in June that in 2026, they were back to full or near-full capacity, after a sustained rough patch.
And in an interview with IndieWire, Espinal framed his job around representation: “Over the years, there hasn’t been strong enough representation within government to support the needs of the industry in order to bring in more production to the city and continue employing the workforce that depended on those jobs,” he noted.
He added: “We’ve covered the basics of shooting in New York City before, but rules and fees can shift. If you have questions or concerns as a New York filmmaker, this is a good opportunity to show up and ask in person.”
The remaining tour stops:
The Bronx: Oct. 28, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Lehman College, 2790 Goulden Ave.
Staten Island: Nov. 10, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 2636 Hylan Blvd.
Queens: Nov. 13, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave.