Greater Philadelphia Film Office
City Hall • 1400 JFK Blvd, 7th Floor, Room 702
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215.686.2668
E-mail: [email protected]
GPFO hosted a virtual event featuring a conversation with AIN’T NO BACK TO A MERRY-GO-ROUND Producer/Director ILANA TRACHTMAN about the development and production of her feature-length documentary.
AIN’T NO BACK TO A MERRY-GO-ROUND offers a rare intimate lens on one protest in the early Civil Rights Movement. Telling the story of one amusement park, one group of individuals, and one moment in time, the laser focus allows for deep understanding of the non-famous individuals whose efforts, sacrifices, and personal awakenings fueled the Civil Rights Movement.
BEL-AIR, the re-boot of the 90’s THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR, was shot in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles in 2021 and 2022. GPFO hosted members of the production team on both coasts to talk about how the project was coordinated, managing time-zone differences, and what filming in both cities is like. You can watch BEL-AIR on streaming services today!
GPFO was thrilled to host a virtual event that brought together the prodigious talents of Berklee Music Composers and the visionary student filmmakers of the Greater Philadelphia area. Woody Pak, Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, walked students through the collaborative process that aims to bring student filmmakers and student composers together.
Filmmakers got to know the newest info from SAG-AFTRA, discussing Return to Work Guidelines and detailing updates to the low-budget theatrical agreements and the new micro-budget agreements for SAG-AFTRA performers. Presented by Nikki Izanec, President of SAG-AFTRA Philadelphia and Ramon Jackson, Business Representative SAG-AFTRA Philadelphia, filmmakers learned about the micro, student, and short project agreements.
In the TIPS for SIP Screenwriting Workshop with Screenwriter/SIP Coordinator Brian Wade, we discussed what makes an award-winning screenplay in preparation of deadlines for our 2023 “Set in Philadelphia” Screenwriting Competition (SIP)! Like any competition, screenplays are evaluated according to a set of rules- this keeps the judging honest and the quality of winners high. We wanted to help writers prepare to submit their script, so we reviewed some of the main scoring criteria our SIP Judges use to evaluate your screenplay: Premise, Visual Quality, Plot, Innovation, Able to be produced in the Greater Philadelphia region, and Ending.
GPFO hosted a chat with Department Heads for the locally produced CONCRETE COWBOY. Led by Writer/Director Ricky Staub, this discussion delved into the logistics and challenges of shooting one of the most crucial scenes in the film.
Ricky Staub is a Writer/Director and Founder of Neighborhood Film Company, a production company that employs adults returning home from incarceration. His debut feature film, CONCRETE COWBOY, starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix. You can watch it on Netflix now.
