First-of-its-kind contest launched by Downtown Alliance will select winner of $50,000 grant to create short film

NEW YORK – The Alliance for Downtown New York is launching a national
competition for a Filmmaker in Chief to highlight the neighborhood as an iconic filming
destination. The winner will receive a $50,000 grant, free housing at luxury apartment style
residence Mint House, located at 70 Pine St., and two months' stipend to edit and shoot a film in Lower Manhattan.

Submissions for Filmmaker in Chief can be made at filmdowntown.nyc from January 16 to
February 16, 2024. Applicants must enter a one minute YouTube video describing why they
should be selected, along with a three-to-five page film treatment outlining the concept for a
short film between eight and 40 minutes. Also to be included: links to past completed works.
The only requirement is for film treatments to feature Lower Manhattan in a starring role, with
the film taking place within the neighborhood's boundaries. For this contest, Lower Manhattan is defined by Chambers Street in the north, to the Battery in the south; from the Hudson River in the west, to the East River in the east.

How the neighborhood is featured is open to creative interpretation: it can be used as a backdrop for a dramatic short, the subject of a documentary, the setting of an animated feature, or simply a (visible) source of inspiration.

After submissions are closed, a jury of Lower Manhattan cultural leaders will choose the winner
from a group of five finalists. The jury includes Pete Torres (COO of the Tribeca Festival),
Khady Kamara (Executive Director of the Perelman Performing Arts Center), Kwame Amoaku
(Deputy Director of the NYC Office of Media and Entertainment), Wynn Thomas (Production
Designer of many films including “Hidden Figures,” “A Beautiful Mind” and “Do the Right Thing”), and Jessica Lappin (President of the Downtown Alliance). Winners will be notified around March 5, 2024, and then announced to the general public.

"We are confident that the Filmmaker in Chief will capture the outsize kinetic energy found
downtown. And the Downtown Alliance intends to use that creation to promote this extraordinary and iconic neighborhood,” said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin.

In addition to the $50,000 grant, the Filmmaker in Chief will receive a two-month stipend and
two months of complimentary housing. The winner will spend two consecutive months between July and September 2024 living and working downtown. In this time, the winner will have time
for pre-production, filming on location and access to an editing suite.

Lower Manhattan has served as the setting for many memorable scenes in movies and TV
shows throughout history. Recently, the neighborhood has played a starring role in the hit shows “Succession” and “Billions,” and has been prominently featured in well-known Hollywood blockbusters including Ivan Reitman's “Ghostbusters,” Martin Scorsese's “The Wolf of Wall Street” and Spike Lee's “Inside Man,” just to name a few. The Filmmaker in Chief will have the unique opportunity to direct the next great portrayal of the famous neighborhood.

For full contest information, visit: filmdowntown.nyc

About the Alliance for Downtown New York
The mission of the Alliance for Downtown New York is to provide service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. The Downtown
Alliance manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID), serving an area roughly from City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street. For more information visit downtownny.com