Empire State Development (ESD) hosted the eighth annual New York State Creativity Summit, an event designed to support and guide emerging creators in the film, television, and streaming sectors. The summit was co-hosted by the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development, the Motion Picture Association (MPA), and Tribeca Festival.
This year’s summit focused on building opportunities for new storytellers in New York’s creative industries. ESD President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight stated, “New York is a global center for film, television, and streaming, and our strength comes from the diversity and originality of the voices who create here. The Creativity Summit is about opening doors across the industry—strengthening training pipelines, building professional networks, and ensuring that new storytellers have the opportunity to bring their visions to the screen. By investing in the next generation of creators today, we’re fueling the creative economy that secures New York’s position as the creative capital of the world for decades to come.”
Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA, emphasized the importance of inclusivity in filmmaking: “Each year, this summit strengthens the very foundation of New York’s production landscape and our entire industry: extraordinary stories and the voices who tell them. When casts, crews, and creators bring different perspectives and experiences to the table, they tell richer and more authentic stories – and the MPA and our member studios are determined to build the pipelines needed to open the doors of filmmaking to every community and empower the next generation of talent.”
Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, said: “New York has always been a place where creativity and opportunity intersect. The Creativity Summit celebrates that spirit—empowering emerging filmmakers, producers, and storytellers to build meaningful careers right here in New York. Tribeca is proud to partner with ESD, the MPA, and the Governor’s Office to continue expanding pathways for the next generation of creative talent.”
The event included panels and workshops aimed at career advancement for content creators. Topics covered included industry pipeline opportunities in New York State; financing productions; legal issues for filmmakers; women in film and television; among others.
Speakers at this year’s summit included Hope Knight (ESD), Cora Atkinson (Producer), Toni Barton (Production Designer), Graham Lee (Paramount Global), Alana Mayo (MGM’s Orion Pictures), Angela Pinsky (Amazon), Santiago Quiñones (Blue Bloods), Holly Rymon (The Gilded Age), Greg Saphier (MPA), Ashley Snyder (Netflix), Canella Williams-Larrabee (Producer/Unit Production Manager), among others.
The Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development supports growth in New York’s film sector by helping filmmakers access programs such as tax incentives for qualified expenditures within New York State. The office also acts as a liaison between production companies and various government entities.
Empire State Development serves as New York’s primary economic development agency. It manages initiatives including Regional Economic Development Councils across ten regions in New York State as well as programs supporting broadband equity through ConnectALL. The agency also works on workforce development strategies for future industries like clean energy.
The Motion Picture Association represents leading companies in film distribution worldwide including Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Universal Studios LLC., Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Inc., Warner Bros Entertainment Inc., with Charles Rivkin serving as chairman.
Tribeca was established after 2001 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff with its annual festival growing into a major event for storytelling across media formats.
