THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA FILM OFFICE

Bridging the gap between the production team and the community
The Greater Philadelphia Film Office (GPFO) is the film commission representing southeastern Pennsylvania. First established in 1985 as an office within the City of Philadelphia, we became a regional economic development agency in 1992. We later incorporated as the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, in 2000.
Today, we grow creative economies and support filmmakers across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. We’ve been responsible for the film industry impacting our region’s economy by over $8 billion since 1992.

OUR MISSION SUMMARIZED

Grow the industry

We serve to grow the local film and video industry in every way possible, recognizing its unparalleled economic impact through job creation and boosting our region’s public relations.

Attract productions

We strive to attract new film and video productions to the region, ranging from major film and TV projects to commercials, music videos, and more.

Provide resources

We assist producers with parking, permits, labor, locations, and generally act as the liaison between productions and our local community, cutting red tape as we go.

WHAT WE DO

Government Assistance

Advocate for government incentives, such as tax credits, for film industry growth.

Provide assistance with government permits, license requirements, and all City department requests.

Location Facilitation

Host a free digital database of locations of film-friendly locations across the region.

Coordinate with neighborhoods and private property owners whose spaces are used as film locations.

Jobs & Professional Services Organization

Maintain ongoing dialogue with organized labor.

Host free online job listings for film-related opportunities.

Manage a free online database of Professional Listings for local crew and vendors working within the film industry.

Community Programs & Resources

Operate Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers, a program serving the regional independent media community through educational programming, industry workshops, and networking opportunities.

Offer an active and mutually beneficial Fiscal Sponsorship Program for qualifying locally based projects.

Run the “Set in Philadelphia” Screenwriting Competition.

Support and promote local filmmaking events and film festivals.

Administer the Film Office Internship Program.

THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA FILM OFFICE STAFF

Erin Jackson Wagner

Co-Executive Director

Nicole Shiner

Co-Executive Director

Joan Bressler

Director, Greater Philadelphia
Filmmakers & Programming

Susan Reiff

Production Coordinator,
Communications Liaison

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Alan L. Zeiger

Chair

Lou Fromm

Vice-Chair

Madeline Sherry

Secretary

James R. Burnett

Treasurer

John Barber III

Greg DeShields

Hakim Franklin

Jazelle Jones

Peggy Kelly

Megan Kennedy

Dottie Leonardi

Charles Morrotta III

Aruna K. Pappu

Robert Simmons

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Julie Fisher Farbman

Emblem Entertainment

Nancy Glass

Glass Entertainment Group

David Haas

Wyncote Foundation

James Madison

Expressway Cinema Rentals

Kris Mendoza

Maestro Filmworks

Jeffrey Rotwitt

Sun Center Studios

Steven Sheehan

Enterprise Holdings

Ukee Washington

SUPPORT
GPFO

Just as films have executive producers to support productions, we invite you to become an “Executive Producer” to support the Greater Philadelphia Film Office.

JOIN OUR
MAILING LIST

Don’t get left out of the picture! Join our mailing list to get insider info and invitations to Filmmakers programs.

CONTACT
GPFO

Have questions? Fill out our contact form. You can also reach us by emailing [email protected] or calling 215 686 2668. We look forward to hearing from you!

Erin Jackson Wagner

Erin Wagner is the Co-Executive Director at the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. She is a born, bred and proud Philadelphian. Erin is an alumna of the Philadelphia High School for Girls and graduated with a B.A. in Media Studies from Penn State in 2001. It was at Penn State, Erin saw The Sixth Sense and was mesmerized that a movie as captivating as this could be filmed mere blocks from her Grays Ferry home. A spark was ignited, and she realized she wanted to be a part of the magic of the film & media industry in the area.

Ten days after graduating from college, she began interning at the Greater Philadelphia Film
Office and never looked back. From Intern to Office Manager to Production Coordinator to now Co-Executive Director, her evolution at the “Film Office” was a natural one by blending film and her beloved city, which she loves marketing to incoming productions by showcasing the diverse
landscape of the region.

Her main duties include being the first point of contact for productions, assisting in securing locations for these projects, arranging City services such as police and street closures and being the link between production and local government during filming. As Co-Executive Director, she’ll take a more active role in workforce development, production attraction and fundraising. Erin loves speaking to film and media classes at local colleges and universities. She is passionate about encouraging the next generation of media professionals to stay in the area after graduation, fostering a strong local creative community.

When not bringing the next big project to the area, her proudest job is being mom to daughter, Easton (and volunteering for her many activities) and wife to Steve.

Nicole Shiner

Nicole Shiner grew up in Harrisburg, PA where she fell in love with all things film via her love for acting. A graduate of Ursinus College, Nicole started with GPFO in 2004 as assistant to the Executive Director and transitioned into the role of Director of Operations and Government Affairs in 2010. A former employee of the Pennsylvania and United States House of Representatives, her experience with elected officials at the state and federal level have served the office well and provide her with exceptional understanding into the challenges facing the industry and opportunities to capitalize on the GPFO’s strengths.

As Co-Executive Director, Nicole focuses on the operations of the organization – including finance, human relations, and works with the board of directors and the board of advisors– and is the key contact for the agency’s work with the Pennsylvania Film Tax Credit program, that state’s best job creator & economic development driver. In that role she will continue to promote the program to the industry worldwide & support and advocate for filmmakers during their application process.

Nicole represented GPFO at both the American Black Film Festival in 2008 and at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 where she promoted PA’s Film Tax Credit program. And, from 2015-2019 she served as Vice President of Billy Penn Music, GPFO’s Music in Film initiative.

Joan Bressler

Joan Bressler joined the Film Office staff in 1992. Over the years, her responsibilities have included tracking economic impact, organizing & executing the very successful job hotline, managing the Fiscal Sponsorship program, working in tandem with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, World Meeting of Families, the DNC, Parkway Centennial, Vision 2020 & other large entities to create film programming within their events and developing/facilitating events and programs sponsored by the Film Office & representing GPFO on career panels & other public venues.
When Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers was officially launched in 2001, Joan was a natural choice to helm this program. Under her direction, Filmmakers has pursued innovative partnerships with various companies/individuals in the region and implemented programs such as The Tripod Initiative, where student filmmakers are paired with professionals to produce videos for the community; Presentation of the “SIP” (“Set in Philadelphia”) Screenwriting Competition; Management of the Derek Freese Documentary Fund; Collaboration with the Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts to manage Film@The Kimmel and Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers Presents….on-going workshops and seminars in Business Training, Legal Perspectives, Script to Screen, Packaging and Financing, Wardrobe Styling, Location Scouting, Permits & Permissions and more. She also serves as a Film Office liaison, visiting schools and community groups, helping students navigate the Greater Philadelphia film industry and talking with the public about the process of making movies.
Joan’s objective in this role is to find out what regional filmmakers need and work to provide it. She has served on the Advisory Committee for Entertainment & Arts Management (EAM) at the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at Drexel University, the Advisory Committee for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, and the Film/TV Production Occupational Advisory Committee for the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA). She has also served as an advisor for Philadelphia Women in Film and Television (PWIFT) and the Philadelphia Free Library’s ‘One Film, One Philadelphia.’
Prior to working at the Film Office, as a free-lancer, she worked with various companies, shooting stills, scouting locations, coordinating events and editing. Joan won a Cine Golden Eagle as the editor on The Art of Learning, She also worked on the Web-Marc Pictures feature film, I Don’t Buy Kisses Anymore, where she first became acquainted with the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. She began her film career at Lopatin Productions, Inc. where she met and married the boss’s son. Joan is married to film producer Michael Lopatin and has three children and five grandchildren.

Susan Reiff

Susan Reiff currently serves as Production Coordinator and Communications Liaison for GPFO.

Originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Susan came to Philadelphia to pursue a degree in Television Production and Media Management at Drexel University. After graduating in 2019, she chose to remain in the area to contribute to Philadelphia’s film industry. With previous time spent at PhillyCAM and working with local creatives, Susan highly values independent filmmaking within the region. Outside of GPFO, Susan is an active member of the local improv comedy community.

 

Susan has worked at GPFO for five years and previously served as Executive Assistant, Office Manager, and Assistant Production Coordinator. Her current duties encompass supporting local productions with permitting, city services, parking, location packages, and any other needs projects have while filming in the region. Additionally, she manages the organization’s communications, social media, copyediting, and in-office duties.

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