New York State Budget Proposal Boosts Tax Credit, Annual Cap For Film & TV Production, Lures Series From Other States With Added Incentive

2023 Fall/Winter New York Fashion Week was one to remember! From February 10 to February 15, the city of New York was alight with arts and culture. Traversing to new creative heights, designers introduced us to the future of fashion, where futurism, sequins, and animalistic influences reign supreme.With fashion on the centre stage, like most runway events, we were also heavily impressed by the beauty looks that emerged from the week.

Objective journalism was on trial Friday night on Bill Maher’s Real Time, with the New York Times as a focus for the discussion on whether opinion has buried news coverage.

The New York Times is under fire for the second day in a row over its coverage of transgender people – now for its response to the criticism of its coverage of transgender people, and also its warning to its own journalists made by the Old Gray Lady’s executive editor.On Wednesday, two very separate, yet damning letters were sent to The Times. One, an open letter signed by nearly 200 current and former Times contributors, criticized the paper’s coverage of transgender people.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor More than 30 Turkish, Syrian and local musicians will perform at benefit concerts taking place in New York on Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 18-19), in an effort to help raise funds for those affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck those countries earlier this month. The death toll from the quakes is reported to be at least 35,000, a number likely to rise in the coming days. The concerts will be held at the New York venue DROM, with 100% of ticket proceeds going to benefit the Turkish Philanthropy Fund and Basmeh Zeitooneh, a registered non-governmental organization working in Syria and Turkey — more details can be found here and here; the concerts’ program appears below.

Murtada Elfadl A compelling character-based drama that reveals the interior life of a young trans man over roughly 24 hours in New York City, “Mutt” follows Feña (Lío Mehiel) as he tries to navigate a series of events that would be stressful for anyone. Piling on setbacks that specifically challenge someone still working out how to reintroduce himself to old friends and family members, writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz — who is also trans — makes audiences acutely conscious of Feña’s emotional state at every turn. “Mutt,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, sees the first-time helmer creatively using the medium to illustrate how small incidents can chip away at a trans person’s self-confidence and the strength it takes to stay true to that identity.

Ed Meza @edmezavar After a long break from feature films, director Uwe Boll is back and ready to roll with his latest project, a crime drama about two mismatched New York City cops on their first day as partners. “First Shift” stars Kristen Renton (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Gino Anthony Pesi (“Shades of Blue”) as the badge-carrying duo, she a transplant from Atlanta new to the Big Apple, he a jaded Brooklyn cop who prefers to work alone but forced to take on the new partner. Set to start shooting in New York City next month, “First Shift” has moved ahead of two other projects Boll has in the works, a South Africa-set thriller and a feature about Prohibition-era federal agent Eliot Ness — famously played by Kevin Costner and Robert Stack in the 1987 film and the 1959 series “The Untouchables” — during the latter part of his career.

The New York Times acquired Serial Productions, the company behind the eponymous breakout true-crime podcast, in July 2020.

Ellen Pompeo is making a rare appearance with her eldest child!

Brent Lang Executive Editor The Alliance of Teatros Latinos NY has announced that TeatroFest NYC 2023, a citywide festival of live drama, dance, music and conversations with Latin artists, will take place this spring. It will feature 20 productions and 210 performances in at least 9 Latin theater venues from March 1 to April 30, 2023. The festival includes world premiere productions of new works as well as revivals from individual theaters and other cultural offerings from NYC’s Latin community of artists and performers. Tickets will be on sale at the website of The Alliance of Teatros Latinos NY. Lead sponsors of the event include The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media andEntertainment (MOME), AARP New York, The Hispanic Federation, and Radio Drama Network.

Expanding his resumé! The White Lotus star Jon Gries made a surprise appearance at New York Fashion Week — by strutting down the runway in his modeling debut.

It’s the most fabulous time of the year! New York Fashion Week has commenced and fan-favorite stars have stepped out to celebrate the best fall/winter 2023 trends. 

on February 8 is a perfect example. (as per) in the —a tea-length black dress with elaborate beaded floral appliqués over the sheer fabric keeping things mostly modest (in a very First Testament way).

EXCLUSIVE: Renowned documentarian Lisa Cortés has entered into a first-look development agreement with the Museum of the City of New York, the goal being to hone documentary IP based on the museum’s exhibitions.

EXCLUSIVE: Kelly Hu (BMF, The Orville) has joined the cast of the CBS series in a recurring role. She will make her debut in episode 112 titled “Up in Smoke,” airing February 19.

Gustavo Dudamel, the longtime Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is heading east: He’s leaving L.A. to take the baton of the New York Philharmonic when his current contract ends in 2026.

The full cast and creative team for the upcoming Kander & Ebb Broadway musical New York, New York were announced by producers today, with, among others, Tony Award nominee Emily Skinner (Stage Show) joining the previously announced stars Colton Ryan and Anna Uzele.

No hair, don’t care! Pete Davidson has a bold new look.

EXCLUSIVE: Ensemble Studio Theatre, one of New York’s premiere Off Broadway venues perhaps best known for its annual Marathon of One-Act Plays, announced today that Estefanía Fadul and Graeme Gillis have been appointed the new Co-Artistic Directors of the 55-year-old theater company.

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-winning writer-producer Ed Redlich (Unforgettable), former CBS Entertainment head of programming Thom Sherman, and NAACP Image Award–nominated filmmaker Mo McRae (A Lot Of Nothing) have joined the creative team of the freshman CBS drama series East New York, from Warner Bros. Television.