MOME works to support and strengthen New York City’s creative economy and make it accessible to all.

THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

May 2024 NEWSLETTER

MOME WORKS TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN NEW YORK CITY'S CREATIVE ECONOMY AND MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.

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UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS

Small Business Month – May 2024:

• May is NYC Small Business Month and this year, the City will host the first ever NYC Small Business Month Expo on Wednesday, May 29 to provide a variety of free information, resources and direct services that address the needs of small business owners of all stages, industries and boroughs. For more information on the expo and to register, please visit the NYC Department of Small Business Services website here.

• NYC’s $82 billion film/TV production industry is supported by hundreds of small businesses throughout the city, such as Cafe Grumpy (Brooklyn), Bridge Cleaners (Brooklyn), LeNoble Lumber (Queens), Jamali Gardens (Manhattan), Melba's (Manhattan), and Avid Waste (Bronx). To watch a series of PSAs on how these businesses have benefited from “Made in NY” productions, please visit MOME’s website here.

New York Music Month – June 2024:

• The official celebration of NYC’s vibrant and dynamic music ecosystem is back with a full slate of in-person and virtual events, including concerts, performances, industry talks and workshops, happening in June across the five boroughs.

• The events also include the annual NYMM Conference on June 5, presented by MOME and the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development’s Music Business Program, to be held at the NYU Skirball Center.

• For more developments on NYMM, and to see past videos and photos, please visit MOME’s website here.

African Film Festival – May 8-June 1:

• The 31st New York African Film Festival, showcasing over 90 films from 30 countries across venues including Film at Lincoln Center, Maysles Cinema, and Brooklyn Academy of Music, will feature notable premieres like Tolu Ajayi's Nigerian corruption drama Over the Bridge and recently restored classics such as Muna Moto by Jean-Pierre Dikongué-Pippa and La Chapelle by Jean-Michel Tchissoukou.

• This year’s theme, Convergence of Time, explores the intersection of historical and contemporary roles played by individuals representing Africa and its diaspora in art.

• For more information and tickets, please visit the African Film Festival website here.

PEN DREAMing Out Loud Readings – May 10, 6:00pm:

• At La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village, PEN America will present readings from participants of the DREAMing Out Loud and DREAMing on Stage programs, the tuition-free writing workshops for emerging migrant writers in the U.S. founded by the award-winning Mexican novelist Álvaro Enrigue in 2016.

• For more information on the festival, please visit the PEN America website here.

NYC Public School Film Festival – May 15:

• The 6th annual NYC festival, celebrating the talent and diversity of student voices, will kick off at the Museum of the City of New York with a private screening, industry panel and media & entertainment expo.

• 127 films were submitted for the festival this year from NYC middle and high school students spanning 39 schools throughout the five boroughs. A total of 31 short films were selected for inclusion in the festival and will soon be available for public viewing.

• For updates, and more information and videos from past NYC Public School Film Festivals, please visit MOME’s website here.

Harlem International Film Festival – May 16-25:

• Celebrating its 19th anniversary, the festival is known for showcasing feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation, youth projects, experimental, VR, music video, and episodic work from around the world plus integrating the best that Harlem has to offer – incredible restaurants and shops, world-class music venues and nightlife, prestigious universities and cultural institutions, and a long history of excellence in the arts.

• For nearly two decades, the Festival has shown over 1,300 films, providing hundreds with their New York premiere and giving them a springboard to further success, and bestowed over 400 awards including the prestigious annual Mira Nair Award for Rising Female Filmmaker and awards to Harlem’s own Emmy award-winning Keith David and Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon.

• For more information, please visit the Harlem International Film Festival website here.

NYC Life to Air 20th Season of Brooklyn Savvy – May 19:

• The series Brooklyn Savvy will celebrate its 20th season on NYC Life, the lifestyle channel of the City’s Broadcast network, NYC Media.

• Hosted by the dynamic Toni Williams, each episode of the new season will include a robust panel of Brooklyn Savvy panelists and thought leaders engaging in conversations about topical social justice issues. From inspiring stories to challenging perspectives, the show will delve deep into the issues that matter most to NYC communities.

• For more information, please visit the Brooklyn Savvy show page on the NYC Media website here.

The People's Film Festival – May 30-June 1:

• The 13th Annual People's Film Festival (TPFF), running at the AMC Magic Johnson Theater & Maysles Cinema in Harlem, NY, will include film, art, creativity, tech, and storytelling from creatives who call Harlem home.

• On Saturday, attendees will embark on a journey into the immersive realms of storytelling with "Story Cypher," a collection of narrative-based 360-degree videos, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) experiences presented by Augmented Pictures at the Tech People Expo – a free community event open to all.

• For more information, please visit The People’s Film Festival here.

Newfest PRIDE – May 30-June 3:

• LGBTQ+ Pride Month kicks off with the 4th annual NewFest Pride Summer Film Series, presented by New York’s leading LGBTQ+ film and media organization,

• NewFest Pride will feature premieres of anticipated queer films such as Fire Island documentary A House is Not a Disco and comedies Am I OK?, starring Dakota Johnson and My Old Ass, starring Aubrey Plaza.

• For more information on additional events, including outdoor screenings and social events such as Women’s Afternoon Out, please visit the Newfest website here.

Photoville Festival – June 1-16:

• The annual Photoville Festival is returning to Brooklyn Bridge Park and in all five boroughs of NYC with 85+ free outdoor photo exhibitions, including an opening weekend event June 1 & 2 for two full days of family-friendly activities, carefully curated photography workshops for professionals and lovers of the craft, engaging tours, and a powerfully captivating night of visual storytelling.

• With stories highlighting hope, joy, and compassion, while honoring experiences of adversity and heartbreak, Photoville aims to elevate the power of visual storytelling by fostering empathy and understanding within our communities

• For more information, please visit the Photoville Festival website here.

Tribeca Festival 2024 – June 5-16:

• The annual festival celebrates the power of storytelling in all forms (film, TV, music, audio storytelling, games, and immersive), featuring premium premieres with the world’s biggest stars alongside the next generation of innovative creators, all on the world’s biggest stages.

• This year Tribeca will celebrate its co-founder Robert De Niro’s 80th birthday with De Niro Con, with fan experiences, set recreations, costume exhibits, behind-the-scenes chats, screenings, and reunions taking place at the Tribeca Festival Hub at Spring Studios June 13-16.

• For more information, please visit the Tribeca Festival website here.

Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Mayor’s Cup – June 8:

• Finalists from 15 schools throughout the five boroughs will compete for the 2nd annual Mayor’s Cup of the Battle of the Boroughs esports competition at the Brooklyn Public Library.

• Once again in partnership with Minecraft Education and C40’s Reinventing Cities initiative, BOTB is a scholastic K-12 Esports competition designed to engage our youngest New Yorkers in shaping the future of their city, and ladders up to Mayor Adams’ commitment to supporting the city’s $2 billion gaming industry.

• For more information on the program, please visit the NYC Schools website here.

A LOOK BACK

“Made in NY” Speed Connect:

• On April 28, MOME organized its first ever Speed Connect event, where 22 “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training program graduates networked 1:1 with local production pros and were interviewed on the spot for jobs in the industry. Representatives from Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert were on hand.

Participants of the “Made in NY” Speed Connect event

Rock the City:

• On April 11, Commissioner Kaufman and senior members of the Film Office were on hand at the Rock the City event, where unions and labor leaders gathered to celebrate NYC’s incomparable media and entertainment industry.

Left to right: Lobbyist Larry Scherer, MOME’s Brian Papworth, SAG-AFTRA’s Rebecca Damon, SAG-AFTRA’s Ezra Knight, MOME Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman, SAG-AFTRA’s Linda Powell, MOME’s Jennifer Lenihan, MOME’s Kwame Amoaku, MOME’s Thavary Krouch

That’s a Wrap on Spring 2024 “Made in NY” Talks:

• In partnership with the Center for Communications, MOME is proud to have presented six panel discussions in this latest round of a signature series that focuses on job opportunities for New Yorkers.

• One of the spotlight events of these series, What You Need to Succeed in Journalism, was moderated by MOME’s own Samer Nasser, Executive Director, Press Credentials Office, and gathered key decision makers on what skills are needed to work in this ever-changing industry.

MOME’s Samer Nasser; Theodore Kim, Director of Newsroom Career Programs, The New York Times; Taylor Mazzarella, Early Talent Recruiter, Warner Bros. Discovery; Jennifer O’Neill, Emerging Talent Recruiter, Paramount; Aja Whitaker-Moore, Executive Editor, Axios

MOME IN THE NEWS

• Politics NY / AMNY 4/10 - Power Players in Arts & Culture - Pat Swinney Kaufman

• Variety 4/30 - From Carrie Coon to Rocio Guerrero: Women Based in NY and Beyond Who Made a Big Impact on the Entertainment Industry the Past Year - The Women of MOME: Pat Swinney Kaufman and Shira Gans

• AM New York 5/2 - Op-ed | New York’s film economy empowering thousands of diverse residents

Follow the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment on social media for the latest on our upcoming events, initiatives, and programs: Twitter: @MadeinNY, Facebook: @MadeinNY, Instagram: @Madein_NY, Threads: @Madein_NY, and LinkedIn.

Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment

nyc.gov/mome

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