Joe Malinconico

Paterson Press

PATERSON — A new NBC television series will be shooting scenes near City Hall on Tuesday, and the mayor said he is looking for ways the cash-strapped city can increase the revenue it gets when the entertainment industry films in Paterson.

The series, “The Enemy Within,” a drama about a CIA operative, is supposed to begin airing on network television in 2019. The cast includes Jennifer Carpenter, Morris Chestnut and Raza Jaffrey, the NBC website says.

Officials said Paterson has seen an increase in the number of television and movie crews filming in the city, especially after the buzz generated by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s critically-acclaimed “Paterson” debuted in theaters in January 2017.

After Jarmusch highlighted Paterson’s old mills and industrial architecture, another filmmaker sent crews to the Silk City for Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which is scheduled for release next year.

Mayor Andre Sayegh said his staff is looking into the possibility of creating a “location fee” so that Paterson can reap some financial benefit from future filming. The mayor said he may announce details of his plan by next week.

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City Council President Maritza Davila said Paterson already charges entertainment companies a $100 film permit. She suggested the city should increase that fee.

“Come on — we’re talking about NBC. They’re coming here with money,” Davila said.

The council president said the city should structure an increased fee so that it doesn’t apply to local community members working on their own independent projects.

In addition to the $100 film permit, NBC is paying Paterson $1,500 for Tuesday's filming, plus additional fees to cover the cost of off-duty police officers needed for security, officials said.

The city requires a $1,500 payment in addition to the $100 permit fee for any filming that last more than five hours, said Paterson’s cultural affairs director, Marcia Sotorrio. The charge for filming that takes less than five hours is $750, she said.

The city has issued about 20 movie and television film permits during the past year, Sotorrio said.

“The Enemy Within” filmed some scenes at the Great Falls several weeks ago, she said. On Monday, scenes were filmed on Garret Mountain and at a city warehouse.

“The location manager fell in love with our downtown, especially the old buildings around City Hall and on Ellison Street,” Sotorrio said.

In Jarmusch’s film, Paterson played itself: a hardscrabble old American industrial city. But for the NBC drama, Paterson is being used to represent European locations, including sites in Croatia and London, Sotorrio said.

Email: editor@patersonpress.com

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