Dear Friends,
Today, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) released the NYC Film and Television Industry Economic Impact Study 2021, which details the unprecedented impact and leading role that the film and television industry has had on New York City’s economy. In 2019, the industry supported 185,000 jobs, $18.1 billion in wages, and $81.6 billion in overall economic output. The groundbreaking report arrives as the City begins to recover from the pandemic, which highlighted just how important this industry is to the city's identity, the livelihood of many New Yorkers, and the local economy. As we continue to rebuild our creative economy, we look forward to working alongside public policymakers, industry stakeholders and local communities in order to ensure continued, sustainable economic growth and job opportunities for New Yorkers in the industry. You can read the full report here. |
NYC HOMECOMING WEEK
NYC Homecoming Week kicks off this Sunday, August 14 and continues through August 22 with free concerts, movie screenings, NYC Restaurant Week, Summer Streets, cultural activities, public art, and more throughout the five boroughs. Highlights include: |
• “WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert" on the Great Lawn in Central Park produced by New York City, Clive Davis and Live Nation is a historic, once-in-a-generation concert, presented by Anheuser-Busch, Citi® and Expedia®. The concert will feature music icons and contemporary artists spanning musical and entertainment genres and will air live worldwide exclusively on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, and on CNNGo.
• “It’s Time for Hip Hop in NYC” concerts produced by New York City, the Universal Hip Hop Museum, and IDEKO will be held at outdoor venues in The Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens. The concerts will be livestreamed on the Twitch channel, Behind the Rhyme.
• Free outdoor screenings hosted by Rooftop Films across all five boroughs that will showcase exciting new films and series that capture the vitality and courageous resilience of New Yorkers. |
For the complete schedule of events, visit the NYC Homecoming Week website.
KEY TO NYC PASS
Last week, Mayor de Blasio announced the Key to NYC Pass program that will require workers and customers to provide proof of vaccination in order to participate in indoor dining, indoor entertainment, and indoor fitness facilities, beginning the week of August 16. Key to NYC Pass is a first-in-the-nation approach that will be phased in over the coming weeks. Proof of vaccination includes a paper vaccination card from the CDC, a NYC Vaccination Record, the Excelsior Pass, or the NYC COVID Safe App for Android or iOS.
The City has embarked on a listening tour to gather feedback across industries and incorporate businesses’ needs into the final guidance. The City will announce more details about the requirements the week of August 16. Inspections and enforcement will begin the week of September 13. The City will launch a multi-language ad campaign for consumers and business owners to spread awareness about the program.
You can find a partial list of the bars, restaurants and other organizations that are already requiring proof of vaccination on the City’s website.
We will continue to update with more details as they become available.
ADDITIONAL COVID-19 UPDATES
On August 11, the Centers for Disease Control announced that the COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.
It’s never been easier to get a vaccination. People ages 12 and older are eligible for the vaccine. (Note: People who are between 12 and 17 years of age are only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.) Reminder: Labor Law section 196-b allows employees to use sick leave for the recovery of any side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination and section 197-c allows leave to receive vaccinations. |
• Vaccinations are available at some schools throughout August; see the list of dates and locations on the Department of Education’s website. (The first week of NYC public school starts on September 13!)
• Free transportation to vaccination appointments in NYC is available for city residents 65 and older and those with disabilities who have no other way to get to a vaccination site. To arrange for transportation, call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692).
• NYC residents who cannot leave their home can sign up for an in-home vaccination online or by calling 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692). Even if you received your first dose of Pfizer or Moderna through a different program, such as a clinic or mobile vaccination site, you can still receive the second dose at home. |
New York City is offering incentives to encourage more New Yorkers get vaccinated. Adults who receive their first vaccine dose at New York City-run sites are now eligible to receive a $100 pre-paid gift card, free tickets, or memberships, and can enter a competition to win exclusive prizes. Anyone who has received a COVID-19 vaccine at any time can take advantage of discounts and giveaways from other NYC businesses by showing their CDC vaccination card.
Travel
The New York State Travel Advisory is no longer in effect. Travelers arriving in New York are no longer required to submit New York State traveler health forms. All travelers, domestic and international, should continue to follow all CDC travel requirements.
As of August 9, American citizens and permanent residents of the United States, who currently reside in the U.S. and who qualify as fully vaccinated travelers, will be able to enter Canada for discretionary travel. For more information, see Canada’s official website. |
REOPENING UPDATES
Arts and Entertainment
Applications are open for the third round of grants from the NYC Women's Fund for Media, Music and Theatre, a program in partnership with New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). Qualified applicants can apply for finishing grants through November 1, 2021.The NYC Women’s Fund was created to address the underrepresentation of female-identified creatives in the entertainment industries. Since the program’s launch in 2018, MOME has awarded $3.5 million to 157 film, theatre, and music projects. Information about the program, including a schedule of informational sessions, is available on the NYC Women’s Fund website.
The third and final cycle of applicants for City Artist Corps grants closed on August 10. A program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts with support from MOME, City Artist Corps Grants are intended to support NYC-based working artists who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Keep an eye out for City Artist Corps activities throughout the five boroughs that are happening until October 31.
Open Culture performances continue to roll out in neighborhoods across the city. The program, which runs through October 31, allows ticketed, socially distanced, outdoor performances at nearly 200 street locations throughout the five boroughs. The NYC Open Culture Program Resources page offers tips for planning and preparation for Open Culture events, links to best practices and protocols for live performance developed by unions and performing arts organizations.
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• Restaurants participating in the Open Restaurants Program before July 7, 2021, must follow the SLA’s instructions for “Licensees Already Utilizing Municipal Property” by providing notification that includes a copy of the authorization from NYC DOT and a diagram of the restaurant’s use of City property to SLA by October 5, 2021.
• Restaurants applying to participate in the Open Restaurants Program on or after July 7, 2021, must follow the SLA’s instructions for “New Applicants for Municipal Property.” Specifically, new applicants must provide notice to the applicable community board. Thirty days after providing the notice, a new applicant must send proof of receipt of the notice along with a copy of the authorization from NYC DOT and a diagram of the restaurant’s use of City property. |
NYC BUSINESS QUICK START
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has launched a new interagency initiative to cut red tape and support NYC businesses with opening or reopening. NYC Business Quick Start provides small businesses a sole point of contact to help navigate City regulations, guarantees a 48-hour response to all small business inquiries and will cut processing time by 50 percent. The program is a collaboration between several key agencies including SBS, Department of Buildings (DOB), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). |
STATE ASSISTANCE
New York State has launched the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit to support the entertainment and tourism industries in New York City. The program will offset some of the costs associated with producing a show, including production costs for sets, costumes, wardrobes, makeup, technical support, salaries, sound, lighting and staging. Eligible companies can receive tax credits of 25% of qualified production expenditures. First-year program applicants can receive up to $3 million per production, with second year applications being eligible for up to $1.5 million. More information on the program, including the program guidelines and application, is available on Empire State Development’s website.
Applications for the New York State COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program are live. The Grant Program provides $800 million in assistance for small businesses (including small for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations), experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Flexible grants up to $50,000 can be used for operating expenses, including payroll, rent or mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, personal protective equipment, or other business expenses incurred during the pandemic. Over 330,000 small and micro businesses are potentially eligible for this program, including 57 percent of the State’s certified MWBEs. Application help is available by phone at 877-721-0097. |
The NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) began accepting applications on June 1. Eligible low and moderate-income households can get up to 12 months of their back rent paid, three months of future rent, and other assistance. There are no immigration status requirements to qualify for the program, and the State recently announced a new streamlined application process for New York’s rent relief program to help eliminate potential barriers for eligible New Yorkers to receive funding. NYC’s Human Resources Administration website offers information about the program, as well as a list of organizations that can help New Yorkers with their applications. |
Moratorium Updates: On August 3, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control issued an order extending the federal ban on certain residential evictions until October 3, 2021—this order applies in New York City and other counties with substantial and high transmission rates of COVID-19. The New York State ban on evictions, foreclosure proceedings, credit discrimination and negative credit reporting related to the effects of the pandemic extends until August 31, 2021. The moratorium that prevents utility companies from disconnecting utilities to residential households and small businesses that are struggling with their bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic extends until December 22, 2021. |
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE
The deadline to enroll in Marketplace health coverage through the COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period is August 15. Visit the federal government’s website or the New York State of Health website for more information on enrollment or changing plans.
The arts, entertainment, and hospitality industries were hit hard by the pandemic, with high unemployment rates. Many workers are experiencing housing insecurity and challenges with rent and mortgages. Please visit the federal Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s webpage to find help, whether you are a renter, homeowner, or landlord.
The American Rescue Plan extends a number of critical tax benefits, particularly the Employee Retention Credit and Paid Leave Credit, to small businesses. Find out more on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website.
The National Endowment for the Arts is providing American Rescue Plan Grants to eligible organizations nationwide. These funds are intended to help support jobs in the arts sector, keep the doors open to arts organizations nationwide, and assist the field in its response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other Arts Endowment funding programs that offer project-based support, Rescue Plan funds are intended to support specific operating costs only. Cost share/matching funds are not required.
The Arts Endowment encourages applications from a variety of eligible organizations including: organizations that serve populations that are underserved, such as those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by ethnicity, economics, geography, or disability; organizations with small and medium-sized budgets; organizations from rural to urban communities; and organizations that may be applying for federal support through the Arts Endowment for the first time. For more information and to apply, visit the NEA’s webpage.
As of August 9, 2021, SBA awarded Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) to approximately 760 New York City applicants. A list of recipients is available on SBA’s website. According to SBA’s latest report, SBA is actively reviewing 340 applications and has not begun review of an additional 6. See SBA’s FAQ if you have applied but have not yet been notified of an award. For more information and to view applicant resources, visit the SVOG website. For SVOG application portal technical support such as a password reset, browser suggestions, or how to use the multi-factor authentication with an app and the QR code, applicants can call 1-800-659-2955 or, for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, 1-800-877-8339 and follow the prompts to SVOG assistance.
Borrowers may be eligible for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness. The SBA launched a streamlined application portal to allow borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans $150,000 or less through participating lenders to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. The new forgiveness platform will begin accepting applications from borrowers on August 4, 2021. Information about PPP loan forgiveness is available on SBA’s website.
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