Rafael Espinal

Personal Account / NYC Commisioner of @madeinny

[Rafael Espinal @RLEspinal]

NYC can’t be the creative capital of the world if creatives can’t afford to live here. As the next @MadeinNY commissioner, I’m focused on real pipelines, making it easier to create here, and an affordability agenda that keeps working creatives in this city. Thank you @NYCMayor

[Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @NYCMayor]

Today we commit to making New York affordable not just for artists, but for making art. We are proud to name Rafael Espinal as Commissioner of @MadeinNY as we stand with union workers and usher in a new golden age of NYC creativity.

[Rafael Espinal @RLEspinal]

When we said NYC is open for production, we meant it.

Filming permits are up 21%, and New York is closing in on the national lead in production spending.

More filming means more jobs & opportunities for New Yorkers.
https://t.co/6Xt8o598TY https://t.co/6Xt8o598TY

[Deadline @DEADLINE]

NYC Production Boom Sees Permits And Spending Surge, Sound Stages Max Out: "We Are Bursting At The Seams" https://t.co/sbvt8LZyzM

[NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment @MadeinNY]

Too much filming in your neighborhood? You can talk directly to us about your film concerns.

NYC’s film industry is booming, but more production means more questions from locals about permitting. Here are three things you didn’t know about filing a film complaint, straight from the NYC Film Office.

Learn more: https://t.co/n4QEWVUXn7

[Natasha Verma @NatashaVermaTV]

@NYCMOMECommish @RLEspinal wants to make filmmaking easier in NYC & he has a plan. @fox5ny

[Variety @Variety]

AMC CEO Adam Aron says that New York City’s popular AMC Kips Bay 15 movie theater, which will shutter on Jan. 3, "wants to stay," but NYU Langone "wants us gone":

“Unfortunately, the decision to retain or end AMC’s tenure in Kips Bay is not ours to make. The nearby NYU Langone Health facility wants to expand, seems to be in the process of buying the building in which your (our) theatre now operates, and it wants us gone. In anticipation of such a transfer to NYU Langone, the current building’s owner has terminated our lease,” Aron writes. “We have engaged with NYU Langone, suggesting any number of alternatives — including that it enlarge the current low-rise building to satisfy its desires for a growth of its medical facility but also leaving a theatre in place for you. Or alternatively, we offered that our theatre could get smaller, so that at the very least we could leave something remaining in place to continue to serve you. Sadly, any and all variations that we have proposed have fallen on closed minds.”

https://t.co/yyfGRIdx7I

[Anthony DiMieri @anthonydimieri]

Thank you @RLEspinal 🎥

[NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment @MadeinNY]

Did you know you can film in NYC without a permit?

Here are five things you might not know about filming in NYC — straight from the MOME’s Film Office.

And yes, you can film without a permit, under certain conditions. For more information on all permitting requirements, head to https://t.co/n4QEWVUXn7.

[NYC Arts in Education Roundtable @nycaier]

Check out this profile on friend of the Roundtable and Commissioner of @MadeinNY, Rafael Espinal. Congrats on all the accomplishments since your appointment, @RLEspinal!

[Rafael Espinal @RLEspinal]

@nycaier @MadeinNY Thank you!

[Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @NYCMayor]

Never been to the opera before?
Now’s your chance. We’re giving away 70,000 free tickets to the @MetOpera at the iconic Lincoln Center. Go to https://t.co/LpKzEcL0V5 to enter the lottery. There’s not a bad seat in the house.

[Chelsea Film Festival @chelseafilm]

📣 We are honored to partner with @MadeinNY and welcome Commissioner #RafaelEspinal to open Reel Magic Hour, the Industry Summit of the Chelsea Film Festival and present the Opening Remarks.

Join us as Commissioner Rafael Espinal sets the stage for a day of insightful conversations about the evolving #CreatorEconomy, major Sporting events, Book adaptations and Documentaries creating lasting impact. Featuring representatives from Creator Camp, Maria B. Campbell Associates, FIFA, DCTV, Giant Pictures, Feminist, Wayfarer Studios, Screenvision Media, and Viewpark Ventures among others.

Our speakers have worked across some of today’s most acclaimed productions, including Fire Island, Quantico, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Gilded Age, Wicked, Halston, KPop Demon Hunters, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

➡️ Swipe through to learn more about the schedule and discover the outstanding lineup of speakers you won’t want to miss.

🗓️ October 16 & 17, 2026

📍TBN Studios - 111 E 15th St, New York, NY 10003

⏰ 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM (each day)

🎟️ Get your tickets TODAY via: https://t.co/irEiRpX5Qt

#ChelseaFilmFestival #MadeinNy #CFFNY2026 #Summit #FilmFestival

[Rafael Espinal @RLEspinal]

Love this

[Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @NYCMayor]

Could new bus shelter roofs help New Yorkers stay cool in extreme heat?

We're testing a few in Brownsville to find out: a green roof covered with native plants, and reflective roofs covered with low-cost, heat-resilient film.

When it comes to climate change, we're using every tool at our disposal — including everyday infrastructure — to keep New Yorkers safe.

[Peter Sterne @petersterne]

Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner @RLEspinal loves this show. https://t.co/1bWxDNrmfQ

[Rafael Espinal @RLEspinal]

Sat down with @CityAndStateNY and gave a snippet of what @MadeinNY has been up to since @NYCMayor appointed me as Commissioner. https://t.co/SLFN9GbRx0

[Rafael Espinal @RLEspinal]

Sat down with @CityAndStateNY and gave a snippet of what @MadeinNY has been up to since @NYCMayor appointed me as Commissioner. https://t.co/SLFN9GbRx0

[NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment @MadeinNY]

Film/TV productions can positively impact the environment via MOME's #NYCFilmGreen program!

Learn more: https://t.co/T0Ji2rhnv8 🌎

[apollotheater @ApolloTheater]

#FlashbackFriday: A look back at a special visit to The Apollo! We welcomed Commisioner @RLEspinal of @MadeinNY for a behind-the-scenes hard hat tour of our historic renovation and restoration.

[LISA EVERS @LisaEvers]

#streetsoldiers TV preview alert‼️Find out why you'll be seeing more movies being made on the streets of NYC! With @rlespinal @nycmomecommish @eifrivera #neilrosen 🔥🔥🔥#fox5ny 10p News Watch LIVE on your phone on free #FOXLocal app! @fox5ny

[Freelancers Union @freelancersu]

When our former Executive Director @rlespinal was appointed by Mayor Mamdani to become the new @madeinny Commissioner, we knew that we would have big shoes to fill. We're thrilled to announce that Chief of Staff @AndreaGordillo will be our new Executive Director

[NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment @MadeinNY]

New York City's the greatest place in the world to film; there's no doubt about it.

The city's open for film and TV production, and our office is raising the bar to find new ways to attract filmmakers to come shoot their next project right here.

Need more proof? Hear it straight from directors, writers, and actors Spike Lee, Amy Schumer, Natasha Lyonne @nlyonne, @darrenaronofsky, Celine Song and @johnkrasinski, who took part in MOME's "Make it in NY" campaign, where they talk about how incomparable it is to film throughout the five boroughs.

Watch the full video at https://t.co/k28QdU0vMp, and check out a preview at @Tribeca Festival.

Film/TV production is one of NYC's most important economic engines — creating good-paying union jobs, generating billions of dollars in local spending and driving business to all five boroughs. When the city's fighting to keep productions here, we're fighting for working people including the crew, caterers, and craftspeople whose livelihoods depend on this industry.

In addition to attractive NY State film tax credits and expansive studios and soundstages throughout the boroughs, MOME's making the filming process in NYC more seamless, thanks to our new and improved film permitting application system in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management (CECM).

We’re making NYC’s the most frictionless place to shoot in the world.

Filmmakers, your next shoot’s right here in New York City, and you’re in great company. We’ll see you on set and on the streets of our great city soon!