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

THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

August 2023 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

NYC Summer of Games – Now through September 2023

• 'NYC Summer of Games' — the citywide celebration of New York City's booming digital games community featuring marquee events, expos, tournaments, exhibits, workshops, and programs across all five boroughs, is happening now! Upcoming events include:

○ Play NYC Gaming Convention, August 5-6

○ Urban Arts Video Game Design After-School Program, Sign-up begins August 7

○ Harlem Gallery of Science and the CCNY’s Esports Valorant Competition, August 19 during Harlem Week

○ CCNY’s Come Out and Play Festival, August 20

• For more information about NYC Summer of Games, including the Games for Change Festival, please visit MOME’s Digital Games page here.

DREAMING Out Loud Anthology – Available for Purchase Now

• DREAMing Out Loud, PEN America’s paid, tuition-free creative writing workshop series for migrant writers in New York City, in partnership with MOME, is proud to present the 5th interaction of its annual anthology.

• This year’s anthology includes an introduction by Ecuadorian-American writer Stephan Sebastian Herrera and features student-writers from Mexico to Nigeria, Kazakhstan to Honduras, Brazil to Jamaica, and beyond. DREAMing Out Loud: An Anthology of Migrant Writers, Vol. 5 invites you to celebrate emerging migrant writers.

• The anthology is available for purchase on the PEN America site here.

5X5 Block Party Series – Beginning August 5

• As announced at a City Hall press conference with Mayor Adams, joined by MOME Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman, the 5X5 BLOCK PARTY SERIES will celebrate HIP HOP’s 50th anniversary throughout the five boroughs, featuring Hip Hop royalty, renowned DJs, street art installations by The LISA Project NYC, markets curated by The Lay Out, interactive experiences, and other headliners, to be announced.

• The events are made possible thanks to partnerships with NYC Tourism, MOME, The LISA Project NYC, Sony Corporation, UMe Urban Legends, Adidas, Certified, and Recording Academy's Black Music Collective.

• For more information, please visit the 5X5 Block series website here.

Mayor Adams, City Officials and members of the 5X5 Block Party Series

International Puppet Fringe Festival – August 9 through August 13

• Organized by Teatro SEA, Grupo Morán (The Morán Group) and The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Education Center, and following the sensational success of the 2021 and 2018 festivals and the inaugural Puppet Week NYC, Puppet Fringe 2023 returns to honor the rich puppetry traditions and talented puppeteers with performances by leading puppet makers and troupes from around the world.

• The festival will include an award for the founder of the Village Halloween Parade, Ralph Lee. Lee is known for his visionary, surreal, life-sized puppets that have become a feature of New York City’s parades, theaters, and public celebrations. In honor of Lee’s vast contributions to the puppetry arts, the 2023 Puppet Fringe Festival theme will be “Halloween in August,” featuring spooky and silly puppets that celebrate this beloved holiday.

• For more information about the International Puppet Fringe Festival, please visit their website here.

Harlem Week – August 9 through August 20

• Harlem Week is celebrating its 49th year with a re-imagined hybrid festival of virtual and live events with the theme "BE THE CHANGE: Hope. Joy. Love."

• The week’s festivities will include At Home Dance Parties, Children’s Festivals, Live Performances, Conferences, and more.

• For the full schedule of events, please visit the Harlem Week website here.

Resources for Workers New Webinar – August 10

• MOME will host a 4th live webinar to provide information and resources to workers and small businesses affected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

• The webinars in this series are not only for the New Yorkers working in production, but also ancillary businesses indirectly impacted by the film and TV industry (dry cleaners, florists, lumber yards, delis, restaurants workers, bartenders).

• Currently scheduled to speak are representatives from the Episcopal Actors Guild, NYC Department of Social Services/Human Resources Administration, NY State Department of Labor, Entertainment Community Fund and the Behind the Scenes Foundation

• Attendees can register for the live webinar here.

• Workers who have been impacted by the strikes can access our website with resources and past webinars here.

Frenzy Fest – August 10 through August 13 & August 18 through August 20

• The ultimate celebration of mental health, Frenzy Fest returns to East Harlem for its fifth consecutive year to dive into the complexities of the human psyche through a captivating lineup of one-act plays and gripping short films.

• Presented by Bario Independent Productions, catch the live performances with a vibrant audience at the Black Box Theater in El Barrio's Artspace PS109.

• Experience the #FrenzyFestival2023 and be a part of the change. Don't miss out on this transformative event! #BreakTheStigma #MentalHealthMatters

• For more information on this event, please visit the Bario Independent Productions website here.

“A New York Evening with…” Series – August 2023

• In partnership with MOME, the GRAMMY Museum presents two more intimate performances and conversations this August:

○ Rhiannon Giddens, August 17 at National Sawdust

○ Lainey Wilson, August 25 at National Sawdust

Bushwick Starr Summer Arts Fest Block Party – August 27

• Presented in partnership with The Bushwick Starr and MOME, the Summer Arts Festival is a FREE annual event featuring free food, entertainment, arts, games, and giveaways, suitable for all ages.

• The 2023 Summer Arts Festival marks the 8th year of this Bushwick community event and will take place at Starr’s new location at 419 Eldert Street as a block party.

• For more information about the festival lineup and performers, please visit the Oye Group website here.

A LOOK BACK

Games for Change

• That’s a wrap on the 20th anniversary of the Games for Change festival, the world’s largest annual event dedicated to games and social impact.

• Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman and Associate Commissioner of Education and Workforce Development Alia Jones-Harvey were on hand to support the festival, and the inaugural Games and SDG Summit, that gathered leaders from across the digital games industry and XR sector to discuss and support key UN Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations Headquarters.

MOME Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman, Games for Changes CEO Susanna Pollack, MOME Associate Commissioner for Workforce Development Alia Jones-Harvey

A+E Career Panel

• A+E Networks hosted “Made in NY” Post Production Training Program alumni for a career panel and networking reception with industry professionals from the A+E post production division.

Sound Thinking NYC Mentoring Panel and Summer Intensive Showcase

• During the Sound Thinking NYC Mentoring panel, aspiring young New Yorkers interested in the music business heard from professionals about their success stories and journeys.

• At the Sound Thinking NYC Summer Intensive Cohort 1 sharing, students presented and performed their final projects to an audience.

• Sound Thinking NYC, a free program from the CUNY Creative Arts Team, MOME and NY is Music, is especially designed to open doors for young women and men to explore careers in the music industry.

Sound Thinking NYC 2023 Cohort 1

MOME IN THE NEWS

• Deadline 7/6 - Permits For New York City Film & TV Production Continued To Fall In June Amid Labor Uncertainty

• NYWIFT 7/13 - Congratulations Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman

• VOA News 7/14 - Why US Cities Are Hiring Night Mayors to Govern After Dark

• NY Times 7/21 - With Hollywood on Strike, a Bright Spot in New York’s Economy Goes Dark

• Crain’s New York Business 7/25 - Sunnyside movie studio project secures $193M in financing

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, and Instagram: @Madein_NY.

Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment

nyc.gov/mome

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