Jersey City Film Update — Festivals, Filming, Funding
Jersey City video production teams have a practical two-week agenda: keep cameras rolling on a high-profile Netflix feature, reroute grip trucks around PATH outages, lock in discounted stage time, and leverage a newly juiced state incentive before budgets close. Below is the full breakdown—plus the nearest festival alternatives since no major local fests hit the September 17–October 1 window.
Netflix’s Dance Comedy Keeps Rolling
Entertainment blog Hoboken Girl confirmed that “Best of the Best”—starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Hasan Minhaj—was last spotted shooting on September 10 in downtown Jersey City and Bayonne, with extras still being cast for additional September dates.
Production impact: Expect intermittent curb-lane holds near Newport and Van Vorst Park; Film JC typically caps daytime street closures at three blocks, so watch for back-to-back permits as choreography scenes move east.
PATH Weekend Closures: Plan Company Moves
The Port Authority will suspend service between Harrison and Journal Square on Sept 13–14 and Sept 20–21 (11:59 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday) to demo a Conrail bridge, with free shuttle buses bridging the gap.
- Who’s affected: Units housing talent in Newark or Kearny lose one-seat rides to Journal Square, adding 20-30 minutes per call.
- Work-around: Load crew vans at Grove Street or Newport PATH, or budget Uber vouchers into petty cash.
Caven Point Studios: Stage Time Available
Cinelease’s purpose-built Caven Point campus (21 Caven Point Ave.) offers three soundstages totaling 70 k sq ft, plus mill and flex space, and has September slots open after wrapping Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite earlier this summer.
Tax Credit Upgrade Hits the Ledger
Signed June 30, S4618/A5827 raises the Garden State film rebate ceiling to 40 % of qualified spend, doubles the diversity bonus to 4 %, and extends eligibility for promotional bump-ups—critical for late-Q3 greenlights. Producers finalizing fall budgets should submit incentive applications via NJEDA by October 15 to lock FY2025 allocations.
Permit Clock: 15-Day Lead for Street Closures
Film JC stipulates that any request involving lane closures, police “ITC” (intermittent traffic control) or special parking must be filed 15 days before cameras roll. Student projects still need COIs but receive fee waivers; commercial shoots face $500 per block per day. Expect longer review times if the scene overlaps NJDOT utility work on Route 139 viaduct upgrades.
Studio & Tech Expansion Nearby
LG opened a 1,000-sq-ft micro-LED virtual-production lab at its Englewood Cliffs HQ in February, offering a North-Jersey XR option 25 minutes from Journal Square for tabletop or spokesperson spots.
No Major Festivals—But Stream Statewide
Jersey City itself is festival-quiet until the Golden Door International Film Festival returns in June 2026. The only statewide option inside the window is the hybrid New Jersey Film Festival (online/Rutgers, Sept 5–Oct 10) for crews seeking fresh shorts to license.
Conclusion
For the rest of September the action in Hudson County tilts toward logistics and leverage: nail down Caven Point stage dates, budget around weekend PATH blackouts, and claim the enlarged 40 % tax credit while it’s hot. With no red-carpet distractions, Jersey City video production teams can focus squarely on efficient, incentive-rich shoots that keep the skyline—and the bottom line—in frame.
