NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission is pleased to announce the addition of Janice Kovach to the 10-member Commission. Governor Phil Murphy’s appointment of Kovach was approved by the Senate on January 13.

Kovach has served as Mayor of Clinton since 2011, where she co-established the River Town Film Festival, a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the theme of community through independent films. In 2019, Kovach was appointed chair of the Hunterdon County Film Commission, which she helped establish in concert with Hunterdon County Economic Development. Currently, Kovach serves as First Vice President of the NJ League of Municipalities, and will become President in November, 2020. Understanding the importance of a female voice in business and government, Kovach volunteers her time training and mentoring women in the political arena. Previously, she has served in several leadership capacities on boards of various service-oriented women’s organizations.

“Janice’s valuable experience in municipal administration, longtime passion for film and extensive network of contacts bring tremendous value to the Commission,” said Michael Uslan, Chairman of the NJMPTC.

“I’m thrilled to join the Motion Picture and Television Commission at this exciting time. I look forward to supporting New Jersey’s growing film industry and ensuring our workers, businesses, and communities benefit from the presence of film and television productions in the Garden State,” said Kovach.

The Commission, which falls under the New Jersey Department of State’s Business Action Center, is staffed by industry professionals and serves as a resource for production companies. The Commission promotes film and television production in New Jersey. Since its formation in 1978, close to 25,000 productions have been filmed in New Jersey, enhancing the local economy by over $2.6 billion.

In 2019, film and television production enhanced the state economy by over $350 million. Many high-profile productions have recently been attracted to the Garden State by New Jersey’s Film Tax Credit Program, which offers eligible production companies a 30-35% transferable tax credit on qualified film production expenses, plus an additional 2% diversity bonus for qualified projects.