Episode
NYC Mayor's Office Of Media And Entertainment Commissioner Rafael Espinal
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- First Time Go
- Published
- Apr 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1574
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Summary
Elected at 26 to the New York State Assembly, my guest today, filmmaker Rafael Espinal says it was easier to become a politician than chase his dreams into indie film. Think about that for a moment! Now he's helping you achieve your dreams by serving as commissioner of New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, or MOME. And what I mean by that is I didn't expect him to be so in tune with the plights of independent filmmaking, in New York City and elsewhere. We talk about the challenges of indie filmmaking in NYC, including improving permitting; how it can be competitive globally; childcare in the city and how that affects filmmakers; the hopeful rise of more diverse voices, and more. All that said, the main takeaway if you're out there wanting to make a film career in NYC, he's on your side. And if you want to move your production studio or career to the best city in the world, he's the man for that as well. I don't think you can listen to this episode and not be bullish on the prospects of making a film in New York City over the next few years. In this episode, Rafael and I talk about: why he is the best person to lead the NYC MOME right now -- he's an indie filmmaker as well (he made his first film recently); what he's going to do with his film -- festival route? YouTube? -- and how that affects how he runs MOME; what does the commission do for me?; his sympathies (but honest advice) for the filmmakers not applying for permits in the city; his comments when taking the job that " the systems are extremely archaic in a way that creates a burden on production companies" -- have things improved?; production space in NYC and the role of AI in the built environment; how the Mayor's goal of free childcare throughout the city will influence filmmakers in the ci…