Jacob Burns Film Center Is Economic Engine

PLEASANTVILLE, NY — The Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville just released its first-ever Economic Closeup, a list of 10 facts detailing how one of the most successful suburban art houses in the country is an economic engine powering the economy not only in Pleasantville but also Westchester.

From new restaurants and transit-oriented housing under construction in Pleasantville, to the explosive growth of on-location film and television production, the Jacob Burns is a powerful accelerant for the local and regional economy, and reshaping the definition of the arts as an economic booster.

Since it opened in 2001, more than 3 million people have enjoyed current American and foreign cinema, unique film series, and special events at the five-screen theater complex. Also a pioneer in visual literacy education, the JBFC offers courses in filmmaking, screenwriting, animation, and more for students of all ages at its state-of-the-art Media Arts Lab, and develops media literacy curricula for schools throughout the region.

The top 10 key economic facts include:

1. On average, 225,000 people come to the JBFC Campus each year with a total of 3 million patronizing the five-screen cinema complex since it opened in June 2001.
   
2. JBFC has an annual operating budget of $8 million, which comes from a variety of earned and contributed sources.
   
3. The Center is the fourth largest employer in Pleasantville, supporting 50 full-time jobs and 100 part-time jobs.
   
4. The Village of Pleasantville in its most recent Master Plan specifically calls out the JBFC as being at the “core of its goal of being an arts and cultural magnet for the region.”
   
5. Six new restaurants in six months have opened in Pleasantville, with an overall increase of 19 new hospitality related businesses opening in the past year.
   
6. Nearly 80 units of additional, transit-oriented housing are currently under construction in Pleasantville.
   
7. The Westchester County Film Office, a JBFC strategic partner, has reported a 67% increase in county wide, on-location production days since 2014, resulting in more than $30 million in revenue from the film and TV industry.
   
8. Based on results from its last survey, Westchester County realized a 130% increase, from $526,454 in 2014 to $1,209,804 in 2016 in permit revenues collected by the county and local municipalities. Westchester generated $500,000 in permit fee revenue in 2016 for productions held on county-owned property, while municipalities collected over $700,000 in 2016.
   
9. Annually, more than 13,000 students experience the Center’s creative approach to visual literacy education, with 70% of these students coming from under-resourced schools and participate in the Center’s programs completely free of charge.
   
10. Through educational and career development programs at its 27,000 square-foot Media Arts Lab, the Center has developed partnerships with over 100 schools and social service agencies throughout the region, and recently launched the Creative Culture Fellowship Program, which provides promising filmmakers with equipment, production space and stipends resulting in film submittals to the Sundance Film Festival and SXSW, among others.

“Filmmaking is an art form, but few communities have embraced the other positive economic benefits that come from supporting this industry as well as Pleasantville and Westchester County have done in partnering with the Center,” said board member and noted director Ron Howard in a press release about the JB's economic impact. “Being so close to New York City, yet located even closer to where many of the actors and behind-the-scenes artisans live, the Center has carved out an enviable niche as a magnet for existing talent and unprecedented educational resource for those entering the industry.”

Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer said the Jacob Burns is a cornerstone upon which the village is revitalizing its downtown economy.

“As a cultural institution, you cannot overstate the positive impact the Jacob Burns Film Center has had on the local economy,” said Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce President Bill Flooks. “Especially when you consider the thousands of visitors drawn to the Center every year, spending money in our retail stores, dining in the local restaurants, and we hope, eventually deciding to live in the Pleasantville community. Jacob Burns is a powerful business partner.”

PHOTO/ Jacob Burns Film Center