Hillsborough Aims to Be Film-Ready Hub

Hillsborough says it is ready to host more movie, television and commercial shoots after the state re-certified the township as a Film Ready community in March 2026. (patch.com) Mayor Catherine Payne announced the re-certification at the Township Committee’s March 10, 2026 meeting, according to Patch. Hillsborough was already part of the state’s first Film Ready cohort in 2023 and had to renew that status. (patch.com) (somersetcountynj.gov) Film Ready New Jersey is a five-step certification program run by the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. The state says certified towns train staff, standardize permits and fees, and designate local liaisons so production crews can move faster once they pick a location. (nj.gov) Hillsborough’s Economic and Business Development Office said last year that staff attended a Film Ready workshop to stay current on filming requirements. The township said the goal was to keep local officials prepared for shoots and the business activity that can follow them. (hillsboroughnj.gov) The pitch to towns like Hillsborough is tied to New Jersey’s larger effort to pull productions across the state. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority said the program helps municipalities market themselves as film destinations and share in jobs and small-business spending tied to shoots. (njeda.gov) That state push has been backed by tax incentives. New Jersey’s film and digital media tax credit provides up to 35 percent of qualified production expenses for many projects, with 30 percent for certain locations within 30 miles of Columbus Circle in Manhattan. (nj.gov) (njeda.gov) State officials have pointed to rising production totals as proof the strategy is working. Governor Phil Murphy and the film commission said in-state film and television spending topped $650 million in 2022, up from the previous record of $500 million in 2021. (njeda.gov) Somerset County has been leaning into that trend for several years. When Hillsborough joined the first Film Ready class in February 2023, county officials said the township and three other Somerset municipalities had completed a review of locations, expertise and local resources needed to support shoots. (somersetcountynj.gov) Independent filmmaker Thomas Baldinger told Patch the designation can make a practical difference before a camera ever rolls because it signals to businesses and property owners that filming is something the town expects and can manage. Patch reported that officials also expect location fees and related spending to flow to local properties and workers if more productions book in town. (patch.com) For Hillsborough, the immediate change is not a new studio or a guaranteed production slate. It is a renewed state stamp saying the township has the contacts, rules and training in place if a location scout comes calling. (patch.com) (nj.gov)