North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth announced this week that revenues collected by the Town of North Hempstead through permits for television and film productions reached a record breaking $86,054 in 2014.* This total represents a $43,890 increase over 2013. In 2014, the Town of North Hempstead granted 70 permits to filmmakers, compared to 38 in 2013 and 22 in 2012.

“The filming industry continues to be drawn to North Hempstead because we are a beautiful and diverse area that is infused with unique downtowns and storefronts, waterfront homes, historical mansions, and bucolic scenery,” says Supervisor Bosworth. “Filming here in North Hempstead benefits the local economy and showcases all we have to offer.”

The increase in revenue comes, in part, due to the tax incentive in New York State that encourages television and film makers to use New York’s incomparable scenery as settings for their shots. New York State officials have announced that the incentive has helped to make this an exceptional year for filming in NY, with 49 applications from TV series for the Film Production Tax Credit Program, which netted $1.85 billion in spending in New York and added over 119,000 jobs to the state’s economy.

“North Hempstead’s convenient location just miles outside of Manhattan initially drew me to the area while location scouting,” says Theodora Christakis, Producer with Optomen Productions. “The first time I filmed there, I independently found a location that fit our story needs well and I had a very pleasant experience with the North Hempstead film office. Every person from the town who helped coordinate our shoot was attentive, flexible and helpful. Kim Kaiman’s knowledge of production was tremendously helpful - besides finding a location that fit our visual needs, she was mindful of our production needs as well. Overall, we had an excellent and successful experience filming in North Hempstead, and it has definitely become one of my go-to places for location scouting.”

In addition to the $86,054 collected by the town through permits, residents and businesses within the town benefit economically as well.

“Not only has North Hempstead more than doubled the direct revenue through permitting fees from the previous year, but our local communities in North Hempstead have also seen a direct impact through local spending and hiring from and by this industry,” according to Kim Kaiman, Executive Director of the North Hempstead Business and Tourism Development Corporation. Local businesses like dry cleaners, laundromats, hardware stores, hairdressers, make-up artists, caterers, drivers, and the hospitality industry see direct effects of the increase in film activity in the town.

TV Shows such as Royal Pains which appears on USA Network, and CBS’s Blue Bloods filmed this year at various North Hempstead locales along with films including Louder Than Bombs and The Outskirts. The “Gold Coast” is among the area’s most popular with filmmakers, including the Sands Point Preserve, and Old Westbury Gardens, among others.

Persons or organizations interested in filming in the Town of North Hempstead should contact Kaiman at (516) 869-7739.

*For year ending December 22, 2014

This past year the TV series Royal Pains turned the Village of Roslyn into the Hamptons main street. Royal Pains was just one of several shows that chose the Town of North Hempstead as a location for filming.