BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST
Patricia Weiser, Producer
"Attention all film makers! Come to Philadelphia to make your movies! We had the most wonderful experience making our feature film in this city! Many, many thanks to the Film Office which provided us with such enthusiastic and constant support, including guidance regarding the tax credit and assistance in securing beautiful locations and experienced crew members. Our money went so much further in Philly and enabled us to enhance the production value of the film tremendously. I cannot imagine a better place, with such a solid film business community, in which to produce a film. I cannot wait to start my next project in Philadelphia!"
DARK FIELDS
Leslie Dixon, Screenwriter
"I loved shooting in Philly and would gladly do it again."
Mark Kamine, Unit Production Manager
"After three movies in Philadelphia - Cover, Law Abiding Citizen, and The Dark Fields - I can say with confidence that Philadelphia has it all for film productions: a great crew base, amazing architecture, a film-friendly environment, and a supportive and expert film office to steer producers in the right direction for all needs, from vendors to restaurants. We've found farmhouses, skyscrapers, factories, townhouses, mansions and dockyards, all within the zone. There's a wide range of hotels and apartments for housing cast and crew, and quick access to New York for equipment. If I can't be at home while filming, I'd rather be in Philly than anywhere else."
EXPLICIT ILLS
Mark Webber, Director
"Philadelphia was very much a character to me, just as much as any of the cast were. And I wanted to photograph Philadelphia without resorting to a shot of Art Museum steps, you know what I mean?"
"Philadelphia is just such a beautiful city on so many levels. When I was writing the movie I wrote for very specific locations, and was very fortunate to be able to go and shoot in those exact places. Our production office was right across the street from one of the apartments I lived in growing up, at Fifth Street right off Girard. That sense of home just made it that much easier to make a film."
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN
Mark Gill, CEO - The Film Department
"On the whole, we’d rather be shooting in Philadelphia. It's a great city with remarkable locations, an extraordinary film commission, competitive financial incentives and the most-capable of crews."
Lucas Foster, Producer
"We are pleased to be shooting in Philadelphia and grateful to Mayor Nutter, the extraordinary film commission, and especially Sharon Pinkenson for their exceptional support. We were delighted to discover a city that adds so much flavor to our movie, and continues to surprise us – we love Philadelphia."
Robert Katz, President of Production - The Film Department
"The incentives created by the State of Pennsylvania and the tremendous efforts by the City of Philadelphia have made it possible for us to shoot here. This film production will pour many millions of dollars into the local and state economy during one of the worst economic crises in our country's history. We look forward to making this the first of many films we shoot here."
THE LOVELY BONES
Steve Molen, President of Physical Production at DreamWorks Studios
“Whenever we make a film, it is critical that we find the right creative and financial balance. We first look at a picture's creative needs and then look at the financial advantages of each location in an effort to maximize the value on screen, while working within very tight financial parameters. Pennsylvania seems to understand that balance. When we began our preparation of "The Lovely Bones", the Philadelphia area was an obvious creative choice but its financial viability wasn't clear. At that time, the incentive program was still evolving and its application to "The Lovely Bones" was unclear. Enter Sharon Pinkenson. She was determined to make Philly our only option and worked with the Governor and other state leaders to insure that the program would be suitable for "The Lovely Bones", and consequently future films as well. Since then, we brought "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", "She's Out of My League", and now, "I Am Number 4", to Pennsylvania. After four pictures, it seems we have just scratched the surface. Pennsylvania has a variety of looks and the crew base has made some great advances. We appreciate our collaboration with the State and look forward to placing more production in Pennsylvania."
OUR LADY OF VICTORY
Tim Chambers, Partner - Quaker Media
"We could have filmed this movie anywhere. But this is a Philadelphia story and we wanted to keep the heart of the film where it belongs. Filming in Philadelphia and on Immaculata's campus helped intensify the emotions of the story during filming and helped bring the struggle and triumph of it all back to life."
SCOTT JOHNSTON
Filmmaker/Curator of the Festival of Independents
"There's a reason MovieMaker magazine recognized Philadelphia as one of the top cities in the U.S. Just as the big boys come here, it is also a breeding ground for younger filmmakers. We have a rich number of universities teaching film, video, and film theory. There is a competitiveness among the universities and filmmakers themselves. It's a competitive town, it's a town filled with talent. People try to one-up each other."
TEACH
Tony Danza, Actor
"I'm just really thrilled that it didn't work out in New York and we ended up here. The people I've come across have been amazing. It's been the warmest embrace ever."
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Ian Bryce, Producer
"We were in Philly for two weeks, had wonderful cooperation throughout the city, from the mayor's office, the film commission, and everybody that we dealt with."
UNTITLED JAMES L. BROOKS MOVIE
John Schofield, Producer
"We had a very good experience. We got all that we wanted and needed. Everything just seemed to work out for us, and the film commission helped us out tremendously!"
James Brooks, Director
"Like all insightful sports fans, I believe Philadelphia is one of the great spots on earth because it gives you the chance to root for 3 teams that somehow always come through for you: the Eagles, the Phillies and the Sharon Pinkensons."
