Local Artist Spotlight -

Sixty-First Productions

How long has Flushing been home for you?

Daniel was born and raised in Flushing while Helena has been a resident of Flushing for 3 years. We both went to CUNY Hunter College and studied Film. We worked in film and TV for 5 years after graduating and then decided to start our own film and media production company here in Flushing.

Why did you pick Flushing to be the place to work, live, and play?

We decided to continue to live and work in Flushing because the community here is rich in diversity: culture, religion and ethnicity. We feel at home and are honored to be a part of this authentic and real New York neighborhood. We enjoy going to Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao, Rose Tea House, exhibitions in Flushing Town Hall, Temple Canteen at the Hindu Temple Society of North America, and Dumpling Galaxy!

Tell us more about film making in Flushing – why did you decide on making a documentary series here?

We draw our inspiration from our surroundings. After joining the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, we were presented with an opportunity to create a short documentary film on local chef Helen You, owner of Tian Jian Dumpling House and Dumpling Galaxy. After filming with Helen You, we realized that there are numerous stories in Flushing that are invisible and wanted to reveal them. The short documentary film on Helen You developed into a short documentary series, ‘First Stop on the 7’ profiling various people, businesses and institutions that make Flushing so unique.