Uncapped states are CT, GA, HI, IL, KY, ME, MA, & NY has $420M/year!

State-by-State Funds Available as of May 2016 (chart via Entertainment Partners)

The fundraiser Philly’s D.A. Seth Williams & Bernard Hopkins are training for on Good Day Philadelphia ‪#‎FOX29‬ now! NIGHT AT THE FIGHTS!

http://www.fox29.com/good-day/113478968-video

Featuring the Golden Gloves Championships and live music concert, Night at the Fights is a fundraiser benefitting Joe Hand Boxing Gym, Urban League of Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia Film Office, United Way Philadelphia, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Father Judge School, Penn State, Cheyney U, and other area nonprofits!

Are you a film or tv production crew member who has a free listing in our Film.org Crew & Vendor database?  If yes, you qualify to receive FREE tickets to the upcoming fundraising event, NIGHT AT THE FIGHTS!

Email your full name and crew job title to [email protected] to enter.  First come, first served.

Night at the Fights = Golden Gloves Boxing x Networking x Charity x Performances by Jazmine Sullivan, El DeBarge, Low Cut Connie, Chill Moody, Brotherly Love & DJ Aktive spinning all night!

On April 30, 2016, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office and the Urban League of Philadelphia along with Joe Hand Gym are presenting a great night out for charity, Night at the Fights, at the Liacouras Center.

The evening will include a thrilling night of amateur boxing including the Pennsylvania Eastern Golden Gloves Boxing Championships and an exciting lineup of live entertainment, celebrities, networking, food, and more!  

Like the characters of the Philly films Rocky and Creed, these young boxers are fighting hard for their legacy.  Let’s support these young athletes on their track to the Olympics!

The goal of the event is to support the important work of several area non-profits by raising funds through ticket sales and sponsorships.  The Golden Gloves presents us with the chance to attract new audiences to the important work conducted by the partners, and provide a dynamic entertainment experience that appeals to the philanthropic spirit in us all.

Don’t miss the charity and networking event of the year!

Not a registered crew member?  No problem, register here. 

Just want to buy tickets?  Purchase tickets here.

Want to sponsor Night at the Fights!  Click here.

We are proud to partner with NAMIC Philly & the Black Professional Alliance at Comcast (BPA) for a Black History Month Closing Reception, this Thursday, 2/25/2016.  This FREE event will highlight 'The Voices of the Civil Rights Movement' interactive project and activism.  Come network to collaborate! RSVP here: http://ow.ly/YF0gj

Philadelphia is so much more than a setting, its a character.  Audiences caught a glimpse of the diversity and charm of our city’s streets in the early days of Philly’s onscreen appearances during Rocky, with Rocky Balboa's training route, ending in the iconic scene at the top of the Art Museum steps.  Since then, the City of Brotherly Love has provided the setting to hundreds of films like Trading Places, Philadelphia, The Sixth Sense, In Her Shoes, Paranoia, Silver Linings Playbook, and Creed.  If you're looking for your next film location, we can proudly say there are many reasons why you should make Philly the star of your next film.  Here are a few.

Savings

The Pennsylvania Tax Credit is a great incentive to film in the Greater Philadelphia Area.  Pennsylvania offers a 25-30% Tax Credit to film productions that spend at least 60% of their total production cost within the state.  Productions may also qualify for other incentives such as fee-free locations, hotel tax exemption, police assistance, and free security at their production site when they film in Philadelphia.  The Tax Credit is a great way to save money for your budget and you can save even more with the resources we offer at the Greater Philadelphia Film Office.  Learn more here!

More Than Just Movies

Movies are not the only thing being filmed in Philadelphia.  Documentaries, television series, reality TV shows, commercials, and music videos add to Philadelphia's entertainment industry repertoire.  Check out a filmography of what has shot here in Philly over the years.

Locations

Philadelphia is the one of the largest and most historic cities in the US and we have over 4,000 locations that are easily accessible for your production that you can access here.  Whether you're looking to shoot a period piece or a modern day film, Philadelphia and its adjacent counties can easily transform into any time period or place that suits your production.  Philadelphia is often used as a stand in for other cities such as New York City, Washington DC, Paris and more.

Our Local Film Community’s Expertise

We have a wealth of expert production professionals in the Greater Philadelphia area for any and all production needs.  From production companies to your casting, onscreen talent and camera, construction, art, electric, lighting, special effects, stunts, wardrobe, accounting, transportation departments and everything in between, we have the professionals who have worked their magic on the most iconic films that happened to film here.  A bonus resource is our Crew and Vendors database with listing of thousands of area professionals and support services here!

The Assistance We Offer Filmmakers

The Greater Philadelphia Film Office is fighting hard for filmmakers (did you get the Creed reference there?).  GPFO does so much more than simply collaborate with studio contacts for big budget films.  It's important to support and grow our local film community, which is why we offer free educational filmmaking programming and manage filmmaking competitions and initiatives.  Funding resources, our job hotline, and film festivals are among the many resources we share with the help of our community partner organizations.

For Native Philadelphians and Current Residents, the Economy

The economic benefits of filming in Philadelphia are stimulating the local creative economy and area businesses.  When movies are shot in Philly, businesses are seeing a greater demand for their services and an increase in profits.  The city also receives free press when it's featured onscreen.  Recently the box-office success Creed has put the city of Philadelphia back into the spotlight by capturing the beauty of the city and shedding light on new hotspots and awesome cultures in the city.  Shooting a movie in Philadelphia inevitably stimulates tourism.  Philadelphia will always be known for the Art Museum steps, the Rocky statue, and cheesesteaks but people will also want to visit Philly’s local restaurants, attractions and venues that are featured in films they love to watch.

Looking for a #PhillyFilm to watch? These are currently streaming on #Netflix! #whattowatchwednesday

March 29, 2012 (Philadelphia, PA) American screenwriter, film director, producer, and screenwriting educator, Rel Dowdell in partnership with Philly First Entertainment releases his second feature film, “Changing The Game” on Friday, May 11, 2012 exclusively at AMC Theatres locations in Philadelphia, New York City, Washington DC, Atlanta, and Chicago before being released nationwide. 

The drama, shot in Philadelphia, stars veteran actors Tony Todd (Candyman, 24 & The Event); Irma P. Hall (Soul Food, The Lady Killers & Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil); and actor/rapper Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones (Blade: The Series, Law & Order, NCIS: LA & The Shield) as principals in the movie.

“Changing the Game,” is a searing and poignant tale about a young African-American male who, with the spiritual guidance of his grandmother, rises above the ferocious and oppressive streets of North Philadelphia to being a shining star in the lucrative world of high finance at Wall Street’s most prestigious firm. However, he soon finds that the white-collar world is filled with crime and death just like the malignant environment he thought he left behind. His only chance of survival is to fully integrate a mysterious gift from a slain childhood friend fully into the fabric of his character. 

“Everyone involved with this highly ambitious landmark project truly expects it to accomplish some remarkable things. I want the film to truly personify its title. I want it to change the way African-American films and filmmakers are perceived. This is a diverse tale with diverse characters in a diverse world, which is what we live in today. Nikkole Denson-Randolph, AMC Independent, and Barnholtz Entertainment have opened an invaluable theatrical door at AMC Theatres for this film to shine and find its audience,“ states Dowdell.

Dowdell has been compared to Directors John Singleton and Spike Lee in the way that his filmmaking blends urban storytelling and suspense to tackle relevant and universal social issues that are intimately intertwined with a powerful moral message. 

Dowdell also wrote and directed the successful African-American themed film in 2005 for Sony Pictures, “Train Ride,” which grossed over $20 million in revenues and starred Wood Harris (of HBO’s acclaimed series “The Wire”), and female rap pioneer M.C. Lyte along with film icon Esther Rolle. 

“Changing The Game” has already seen success with the recent landing of a distribution deal with AMC Theatres, the second-largest motion picture exhibitor in North America and Barnholtz entertainment, a leading independent distributor. 

Check out these interviews with the Rel Dowdell, the cast, and the crew of “Changing the Game.”

Here are the links to the official trailers for Changing the Game and Train Ride:

“Changing the Game” - https://vimeo.com/34988225

Sayyed Muhammad and rap artist Gran Centinial being interviewed at Temple University Radio Station in 2010.

Jami Marl Films was formed in 2007 by Sayyed Muhammad in New York City. Sayyed began taking on Video production accounts in Philadelphia, late 2008 and made Philadelphia the permanent residence of the company soon after. Jami Marl Films has been operating a Video Production & Editing Internship for film graduates in both Orland, PA (From Forge Recording Studios) and North Philadelphia on Temple University Campus for the last 6 years of which several amazing filmmakers have come out of. In the JMF program, interns learn how to management, marketing, promotion and acquiring clients, as well as brand building. Jami Marl Films produced an International TV Hip-Hop TV show titled “IN THE ZONE” that became a hit overseas and aired from 2008-11 when JMF decided not to continue the show but to focus on Network TV in the United States. Locally, Sayyed has created several logos, motion graphics for businesses in the Delaware Valley and is regularly hired to create beginning intros for films of Independent Filmmakers. Sayyed Muhammad, a writer, and filmmaker, has produced products for BET, MTV and sound projects for HBO, as well as written for Warner Brothers Studios and is now in Pre-production for a Warner Brothers Distributed film “Marshall Square” that will be in theaters in the summer of 2013. Jami Marl Films recently completed two films for the Black Film Festival in Miami Beach this Summer, “Still” Starring Alaina Nelson and “Long Way from Cuba” starring from State Property Omillio Sparks.

Alaina Nelson starring in “Still”

Here are a few links to check out Sayyed Muhammad’s work: 

Wings of Giving Commerical - http://youtu.be/JcJnzJdhxeg

Tests done for A&E TV shows - http://youtu.be/zNV3_cL0Bks

SharonInTheNews: 6ABC Interview

In 2012, we featured on our film.org Filmmaker’s Spotlight local filmmakers Graham Nolte & Tommy Stackhouse and their G-ram Films.  At that time, they were still in the fundraising phase of producing their feature film, Parallax.  Now they are screening it all over the country (with a recap of their Philly premiere here) and are set for a DVD release next month!  Our throwback post below:

Founded under the creative vision of Graham Nolte in 2007, G-ram Films is a West Chester-based film production company headed by the leadership of writer/director Graham Nolte and producer Tommy Stackhouse. From the company’s early days of “Jackass” type stunts to more modern indulgence of both situational and satirical comedy, G-ram Films has been actively creating a cult fan base since its inception at the West Chester Henderson High School video production department.

Parallax is a feature length film set to take place in the year 1987, highlighting the inception of the internet to the general public. Abbot Allen, a former Princeton professor, has a dream invention that he wishes to unleash to the world. As Abbot pushes himself to make his dream a reality, we begin to see that his sheltered life from those around him causes many setbacks in his rise to the top. With time and money running down, and a grant from the National Science Foundation on the line, will Abbot step up and make his dream a reality? Or will his inability to communicate with his team lead to his ultimate downfall?

For more information regarding the G-ram Films team, past productions, their current feature film Parallax, or their upcoming fundraiser “Eating a Shoe to Support Our Crew!” please feel free to check out www.g-ramfilms.com.

Follow Them on Twitter: @G_ramFilms

Like Them on Facebook: G-ram Films

Early 2012, we featured Jon Foy’s amazing work on our film.org Filmmaker’s Spotlight for his documentary Resurrect Dead.  Since our feature, you can view Resurrect Dead as its available on DVD, iTunes, & VOD, as well as the EPIX Movie Channel and has be named a New York Times Critic's Pick and Roger Ebert: #5 pick, best documentary 2011!  Our vintage feature content below:

Jon Foy - Resurrect Dead - In Jon Foy’s feature-length documentary Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, strangeness is afoot. Most people don't notice the hundreds of cryptic tiled messages about resurrecting the dead that have been appearing in city streets over the past three decades. But Justin Duerr does. For years, finding an answer to this long-standing urban mystery has been his obsession. He has been collecting clues that the tiler has embedded in the streets of major cities across the U.S. and South America. But as Justin starts piecing together key events of the past, he finds a story that is more surreal than he imagined, and one that hits disturbingly close to home.

Foy is a self-taught, multi-disciplined filmmaker who specializes in editing and composing. His debut documentary Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles won him the 2011 Sundance Directing Award.