Lights, Camera, Action: East Brunswick Gets ‘Film Ready’ Certification From New Jersey

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Say hello to the latest filming destination in New Jersey.

After a long process, East Brunswick recently received the “Film Ready” certification from the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission.

The township was informed about the development by the Commission in a letter to Mayor Brad Cohen.

“First, let me say how thrilled we are that the Township of East Brunswick has completed all steps for certification and is a Film Ready location! We will announce the township's official film-ready status at our upcoming board meeting in July,” Jon Crowley, Executive Director NJ Motion Picture and Television Commission, said in the letter.

This certification will allow the township to attract studios and networks looking for their next production site.

Cohen told Patch that he was “thrilled” with the certification. He's positive that it will leverage the township’s diverse landscapes and local talent to attract film and movie companies.

“We have areas that look like downtown, we have areas that look like a desert, we have areas that look like beautiful forestry... I think we've got so many things here being so centrally located, we've been working a long time to try to get this designation,” Cohen said.

Although the township had applied for certification a while back, the process was delayed this past summer due to an “extensive program review” with the State's Attorney General, Crowley said.

The new Film Ready requirements are designed to create a standardized, streamlined process that makes certified locations appealing to the film and television industry.

With film and TV crews filming locally, the township, as well as businesses, stands to gain monetary benefits while making East Brunswick an attractive destination.

“I'm hoping that we can get some interesting film and movie-type companies to come out here and look at East Brunswick for the possibility of some Business, and it becomes an economic boom for the town as well,” Cohen said.

The push to make East Brunswick a regional hub started almost eight years ago, when Cohen and his administration started on the plan to revitalize Route 18.

“If you bring more people into town, it encourages more businesses to come. Route 18 used to be a major business card. It lost that around 25 years ago. So, part of all of this was to bring that back. Bringing in the film and TV productions is also our commitment to the arts in general. And all those all become economic drivers,” Cohen explained.

“We're taking advantage of what East Brunswick has to offer by using an aggressive marketing campaign to shine a spotlight on all of it. East Brunswick is energized, the people are energized, and that’s what I’m excited about.”

With the Commission planning to make an official announcement in July, Cohen and his administration will be looking at ways to celebrate this important milestone with the community. An announcement on the same will be made in time.

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