The Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting (MOFTB) is the oldest

film commission Film commissions are quasi-governmental, non-profit, public organizations that attract motion media production crews (including movies, television, and commercials) to shoot on location in their respective localities, and offer support so that p ...

in the United States.Mission Statement of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting
, retrieved 2010-02-23. It is

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

’s agency responsible for coordinating municipal support for film and television production, including approving film shoots and liaising with government agencies and promoting the industry. The office provides free permits, free public locations, and free police escorts. It also provides shooting guidelines, insurance information, and other useful information for local film and media production. Built upon mayoral initiatives dating back to Mayor

John V. Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...

in 1966 and Mayor

Abraham Beame Abraham David Beame (March 20, 1906February 10, 2001) was the 104th mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977. As mayor, he presided over the city during its fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, when the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy. ...

in 1974, the Mayor's Office today supports an industry that generates over $5 billion annually and employs over 100,000 New Yorkers.History of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting
, retrieved 2010-02-04.

History

In his 1965 campaign for mayor, John Lindsay promised to lure runaway film productions back to New York City by streamlining the process of obtaining the necessary approvals to shoot in the city. At the time, separate approvals were required from several agencies before filming could begin. In 1966, permitting authority was consolidated within the New York City Department of Commerce. The city saw an immediate 100% increase in production over the previous year, bringing in an estimated additional $20 million in spending in the city. In 1974, Mayor Abraham Beame met with the newly formed New York Motion Picture and Television Council and its Chairman, Jerry Puchkoff. At that meeting Mayor Beame agreed to expand the city's support for the industry by forming the Mayor's Advisory Council on Motion Pictures and Television in which Jerry Puchkoff was also elected Co-Chairman. The Mayor's office was led by Director Walter Wood. In 1993, after a seven-month-long labor dispute between major studios and several theatrical unions which brought New York-based production to a near-standstill, Mayor David Dinkins elevated the office to cabinet status and appointed film industry professional Richard Brick as its first Commissioner. Since 2019, the office has been overseen by Anne del Castillo, who serves as Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting Government of New York City Film commissions in the United States

History

See also

References