U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis is advocating for policies intended to maintain film production activity in Brooklyn rather than see projects move to lower-cost locations. Last Wednesday, the Staten Island and southern Brooklyn congresswoman met with actor Jon Voight in Washington, D.C. to discuss federal tax measures aimed at encouraging movie and television productions to remain in the United States. The discussion included renewing Section 181 and supporting the bipartisan CREATE Act, both designed to reduce production costs domestically. In Brooklyn neighborhoods where shows such as Blue Bloods and Ray Donovan have filmed in Bay Ridge and Sunset Park, supporters state that the measures are associated with employment opportunities for local crews, restaurants, and small businesses.
As reported by the Brooklyn Reporter, Nicole Malliotakis said she welcomed U.S. Special Ambassador to Hollywood Jon Voight to her office to discuss efforts to renew Section 181. She described the initiative as an effort to maintain film and television production in New York and the related economic activity in city neighborhoods.
Why Lawmakers Are Pushing The CREATE Act
The Directors Guild of America and other industry groups support the CREATE Act, which would extend Section 181 and allow many production costs to be expensed in the same year they are paid, a change advocates say is crucial to keeping projects in the United States, according to the DGA. The bill was filed in the House as H.R. 4840, and its text lays out higher deduction thresholds and an extension through Dec. 31, 2030, according to the legislation.
The bill text would raise caps on how much producers can deduct and add an inflation adjustment beginning after 2026. Supporters in the guild and across the industry argue that without those federal incentives, productions are more likely to chase richer deals in other states and overseas, taking middle-class union and nonunion jobs with them.
Brooklyn Shoots Could Be On The Line
Local filming has become routine around southern Brooklyn. As the Brooklyn Eagle has noted, Bay Ridge provides the exterior of the Reagan home on Blue Bloods. Sunset Park’s Irish Haven bar and surrounding blocks have hosted scenes for Ray Donovan and Gotham, coverage that community outlets such as the Brooklyn Reporter have tracked for years.
Neighborhood notices and local reporting have documented how often productions roll into the borough, and how nearby shops, restaurants and local crews see a bump when they do. Supporters of Section 181 say that if incentives fade, so do those on-location paychecks.
Voight’s National Push
Jon Voight, who was appointed special ambassador to Hollywood in 2025, has advocated for federal incentives and other policy proposals while meeting with industry and political leaders, as reported by The Washington Post. In remarks shared with supporters, he urged that the legislation pass Congress and be signed into law by Donald Trump, language that has also appeared in industry statements supporting H.R. 4840, per the Directors Guild of America.
The bill, introduced in August 2025, still needs committee consideration and floor votes before it can reach the president, according to congressional records. Advocates say they will continue to press their case in Washington. For Brooklyn crews and businesses that regularly host sets, the outcome will help decide whether the borough stays camera ready or watches more work drift to states and countries that currently offer richer incentives.
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