NYWIFT Blog

Our Friday column asks our members about their favorite tool, software, article of clothing, shoes on set, favorite scriptwriting software, etc.

Anne del Castillo – Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME)

By Terry Greenberg

Anne del Castillo serves as the Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME). A native New Yorker, del Castillo has more than 25 years of experience in film and TV production, public media, and arts and nonprofit administration. Commissioner del Castillo leads MOME’s efforts to bolster the city’s creative sectors of film, television, theatre, music, advertising, publishing, and digital content creation, and also cultivate a sustainable nighttime economy through the City’s first-ever Office of Nightlife.

She has also served as an associate producer on the Sundance Award-winning documentary Imelda about the former First Lady of the Philippines; contributed as a panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts, Center for Asian American Media, and New York State Council on the Arts; and has presented at industry events, including South by Southwest and the Sithengi Film and TV Market in South Africa.

Commissioner del Castillo sat down to discuss what’s in her toolkit.

Commissioner Anne del Castillo

What is the one thing you can’t live without during your day on the job?

Coffee and my cell phone.

As the Commissioner of MOME, you have a very full and challenging job, juggling a lot of balls, especially now during COVID. What do you do to help de-stress?

Having a set routine really helps. I start the day with morning yoga followed by breakfast with my son. In the evening, I log off for a couple hours to catch up on his day. Those little moments go a long way to keeping me grounded and out of my head.

Commissioner del Castillo at NYC Supports Chinatown Businesses Summer 2020

What do you love most about your job? 

The Mayor’s Office of Media Entertainment supports a broad cross-section of creative industries that represent the core identity of New York City and why people choose to come here from all over the world. The city’s creative community is so rich in diversity in terms of genre, expression, language, size, scale, geography–there is creativity in every nook and cranny of this city, often in the most unlikely places. To be able to engage with that energy and vision every day and support its growth, development and visibility is a real privilege.

What are you doing to keep yourself nourished and inspired during these pandemic times? What are you doing to encourage your MOME team and keep them positive and hopeful during this tough moment in time?

Ironically, I’m probably in better health than I’ve ever been. Working from home and especially when my son was doing remote learning (he recently went back to in-person learning), I do less takeout and eat more home-prepared meals at the dining table with him rather than at my desk. Mentally and emotionally, the isolation can be a bit of a challenge, so I make sure to check in with family and friends and stay connected to supportive networks. I do more talking than texting these days, because that human connection is so affirming.

I know it’s hard for the team. We tend to work collaboratively, so not being able to walk down the hall or huddle up in the conference room can be challenging. But the teams do frequent check-ins and we have a dedicated group that organizes staff gatherings via zoom. It’s not the same but I think it helps keep people connected. The team is doing such impactful work under the most difficult circumstances, so we try to celebrate the work they are doing at every opportunity.

Commissioner del Castillo at The Strand bookstore event in December 2020 with Mayor Bill de Blasio.

How has your role shifted from pre-Covid to Covid?  How have your priorities shifted?

At the Sesame Street 50th Anniversary Street Lighting 2019

MOME’s Broadway in the Boros 2019