The Mayor's office
of media and entertainment

MAY 2017 newsletter

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND COMMISSIONER MENIN ANNOUNCE RETURN OF THE GRAMMY® AWARDS TO NEW YORK AFTER A 15-YEAR HIATUS

After 15 years, the GRAMMY® Awards are at long last returning to New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Media & Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin announced earlier this week, along with Recording Academy President Neil Portnow, MSG Chairman James Dolan, and CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves. The prestigious music awards show will celebrate its 60th anniversary on January 28, 2018 at Madison Square Garden, and air on CBS.

Read more in the New York Times.

JUNE 2017 IS THE FIRST-EVER "NEW YORK MUSIC MONTH"

Mayor de Blasio, Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin, and NY is Music co-founder Justin Kalifowitz last week proclaimed June as New York Music Month. This first-ever citywide celebration of New York's diverse and thriving music sector will feature 30 days of events designed to both showcase and support the makers of New York City's soundtrack, including a comprehensive calendar of music events throughout the City, resources for music makers and industry professionals, and free walking tours, playlists, and more. Visit nymusicmonth.nyc for all the details, and join the conversation on social media using #NYMM2017.

Read more in Variety.

CITY AGENCIES HELP SAVE SOHO REP'S DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN LOCATION

Thanks to intervention from MOME and the City's Buildings Department, innovative contemporary theatre company Soho Rep. will return to its longtime home, which was closed in 2016 due to building regulation issues. After hearing about the theatre company's troubles, MOME Commissioner Julie Menin stepped in and coordinated with NYC Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler to see what could be done to solve the problem.

Read more in the New York Times.

NYC DECLARES APRIL 25 "ELLA FITZGERALD DAY"

MOME Commissioner Julie Menin joined native New Yorker Tony Bennett at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center to present a mayoral proclamation declaring April 25th "Ella Fitzgerald Day" in New York City, in honor of the legendary musician's 100th birthday. Mr. Bennett performed a song in her honor, and students from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts also gave a performance.

 

Watch ABC 7's coverage of the event.

WINNERS OF CITYWIDE SCRIPTWRITING COMPETITION SHOWCASING WOMEN IN FILM AND TELEVISION ANNOUNCED

On April 19, MOME and Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema announced that Patty Carey-Perazzo's HALF-LIFE and Robin Rose Singer's ADULT BEHAVIOR were chosen from a pool of over 300 scripts by a distinguished panel of industry leaders to be developed into pilots that will air on NYC Media, the City's official broadcast network with a reach of 18 million households. One of the two winning pilots will be selected for the creation of four additional episodes, to air on NYC Media in the summer of 2018.

Read more in Deadline Hollywood.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CYCLE 47 OF THE MADE IN NY PA TRAINING PROGRAM!

On April 28, 14 New Yorkers completed the Made in NY PA Training Program, taking the next step towards careers in NYC's booming film and television industry. To date, this program has prepared 699 previously unemployed and low-income New Yorkers for entry-level jobs as production assistants.

 

Learn More about the "Made in NY" PA Training Program.

Put On Your Calendar

One Book, One New York: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
On June 5th, the New York Public Library and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment will celebrate the culmination of NYC's One Book, One New York program with a special evening featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her book Americanah, which was the winner of the first-annual citywide vote. The event will feature a conversation with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Buzzfeed Books editor Isaac Fitzgerald at the historic Celeste Bartos Forum. Adichie and Fitzgerald will discuss the many themes in the book, which include immigration, race, and love. Broadway and Showtime's Billions star Condola Rashad will also present a reading from Americanah.

Click here for details.

Vulture Festival
Vulture Festival, a weekend of high-profile events celebrating the best of today's television, comedy, music, film, and more, returns on May 20 and 21. The lineup for the 2017 pop-culture extravaganza includes panels, screenings, performances, and live podcast recordings. MOME is proud to present "One Degree from Kevin Bacon," an intimate interview with the legendary actor, on Sunday May 21 at The Standard.

See the full lineup.

Split Screens Festival
Split Screens Festival, taking place June 2-8 at IFC Center in downtown Manhattan, is a new, annual event celebrating the art of television. Reflecting a moment when television has never been more innovative or accomplished, the festival showcases the best of our current golden age of scripted shows, with stars, directors, producers and showrunners appearing in person for in-depth discussions about making great TV. The festival also present awards to major figures in the evolution of TV, premieres episodes of eagerly anticipated new shows, and spotlights the next generation of DIY online creators whose work is pushing episodic shows in bold new directions. Schedule and tickets available at splitscreensfestival.com

The Paley Center Presents "Tony Bennett: Celebrating 90 Years of Artistry"
The Paley Center is happy to present this unique exhibit that brings together the singing artistry of one of America's greatest entertainers with his vibrant painting talent. The Paley Center will also be presenting a free screening of "Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come" each Saturday during the exhibit at 4:00 pm. Open May 4 to June 18, 2017; exhibit hours Wednesday-Sunday, 12pm-6pm.
Get all the details here.

New "Made in NY" TV productions releasing soon:

• Master of None (May 12, Netflix)
• The Wizard of Lies (May 20, HBO)
• Difficult People (August 8, Hulu)
• The Defenders (August 18, Netflix)
• The Tick (August 25, Amazon)