Why the creative industries in NYC are underestimated by the naysayers

Pat Swinney Kaufman served nearly 30 years as executive director of the Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development and deputy commissioner at Empire State Development. During that time, she helped draft legislation that created the state’s Film Production Tax Credit. In 2023, she moved into her current position, serving as commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and has used the job to help promote the city’s creative industries and job training opportunities for New Yorkers.

Kaufman’s resume includes being president of the Association of Film Commissioners International, as well as serving on the board of the Hamptons International Film Festival and the New York Production Alliance. She has been on Variety's Women’s Impact List and The Gotham 50, the industry publication’s list celebrating New Yorkers who have revitalized the city’s show business legacy. She also was a recipient of AFCI’s Arthur M. Loew Crystal Vision Award and the New York Women in Film and Television Muse Award.

What some may not know is that Kaufman is married to film director, screenwriter, producer and actor Lloyd Kaufman, co-founder of Troma Entertainment, a film production company that helped establish New York’s independent film industry.

On the heels of Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony, City & State caught up with Kaufman to discuss her work on the state’s television and film tax credit, and how she’s helping to promote creative industries and job training opportunities in her current role.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You’re a firm believer in the television and film tax credit program you helped create in 2004. How much has it helped grow New York’s independent film industry? 

We always used to say back when I was running the state film office – actually we were always bragging – that we were the independent film capital of the world, thanks to the tax credit. And thanks to that tax credit, we now are even bigger with regard to television and film production. The industry in New York really exploded once we got that tax credit.

And what was the rationale for increasing the credit’s annual funding allocation from $420 million to $700 million in 2023?

It improved the tax credit, made it once again completely robust and able to compete with the other states that began to develop credits after we did. They were beginning to make their credits more robust than ours. But now ours is as robust as they are. And again, we have to thank New York state for that. It’s wonderful.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed you in July 2023, saying that you would help to continue to “advance a strong and inclusive economic recovery across the five boroughs” following the COVID-19 pandemic. What did he mean by that charge?

We set out to create job opportunities in the industry and to make those opportunities available to all New Yorkers. We’ve been working very hard to create pipelines into the film industry and television production industry, as well as live theater and music. And we want to make sure that there are opportunities for a more diverse population to get into these pipelines and eventually get jobs in these industries. So we’ve created training programs and expanded them. Some of these programs already existed and now we’re trying to reinforce them, expand them, like the Made in New York Production Assistant (Training) Program and the Made in New York Stagecraft program. We’re also focusing on how to get these people into the unions, because, that of course is the brass ring that everyone reaches for when they’re coming into this industry.

There are critics of the tax credit who argue there’s no benefit for New Yorkers. How do you respond to them and make the case for your agency?

The office did exist before the tax credit came on. We’re here to serve all the creative industries, not just film and television production. That includes the music industry and the live performance industry in New York, which is huge. You put together the economic impact of all the creative industries that we are working so hard to assist and that is 10% of the city’s GDP. I think the creative industries are completely underestimated by naysayers. They don’t realize how big and important the creative industries are to the health of New York. We have an expression that when the creative industries and creative production industries thrive New York City’s economy thrives.

What are your thoughts on proposed changes to the tax credit in the 2026 executive budget, including a new $100 million pool allocation for independent films?

Our office fully supports the proposed updates to the state tax credit as part of the governor’s fiscal year 2026 executive budget, which further enhance the incentives offered to our city’s film and TV industry. These incentives help attract productions to the city and keep them here, allowing New York to remain competitive among other film markets. Combined with our city’s robust infrastructure, its one of a kind backdrop and world-class talent pool, and don’t forget the City of Yes commitment to supporting this industry. The tax incentives will allow New York to remain a leading destination for TV and film production.