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Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Films Shaped by a City

Mural by: Marian Bailey

— Mural Arts Philadelphia —

 
 
Films Shaped by a City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 26, 2025
1. Films Shaped by a City Marker
Inscription.
Marian Bailey's vibrant new mural, Films Shaped by a City, celebrates some of the key films and film-related organizations that have impacted filmmaking, film presentation, and film-related training in Philadelphia. The mural, which adorns the Sansom Street side of the Philadelphia Film Society Center, is the result of a multi-year project by Mural Arts Philadelphia, BlackStar Projects, and the Philadelphia Film Society, alongside an advisory panel of representatives from PhillyCAM, Scribe Video Center, Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation, Sotomayor Productions, cinιSPEAK, and others.

As the film community is massive and has spanned many years, the mural focuses on some of the keys films and film related organizations that have impacted filmmaking, film presentation and film-related training in Philadelphia.

Mural produced by: Eric Okdeh
Assistants: Paul Raco, Michael Reali
Funders: City of Philadelphia
Partners: Philadelphia Film Society, BlackStar Projects, PhillyCAM, Scribe Video Center, Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation, Sotomayor Productions, and cinιSPEAK
Project Managers: Katy Bagli, Philip Asbury

 
Erected 2025 by City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program; Marian
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Baily, muralist.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, MusicEntertainmentIndustry & Commerce.
 
Location. 39° 57.013′ N, 75° 9.884′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Rittenhouse Square. It is on Sansom Street just west of South Broad Street (Pennsylvania Route 611), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1415 Sansom St, Philadelphia PA 19110, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Artillery Corps Washington Grays (within shouting distance of this marker); The Union League of Philadelphia (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Union League of Philadelphia (within shouting distance of this marker); Washington Grays Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Spirit of '61 (within shouting distance of this marker); Medical Library Association (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Walk of Fame (about 300 feet away); 15th & Walnut (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.
 
Also see . . .  Trailer to John G. Avildsen's film Rocky on YouTube. The 1976 film Rocky
<i>Films Shaped by a City</i> image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 26, 2025
2. Films Shaped by a City
is perhaps the most iconic movie filmed and set in Philadelphia. In addition to being named the "best sports movie ever" by both Digital Spy and The Athletic, it also won three Academy Awards including the highly-coveted Best Picture. However, there are several other films both filmed and set in Philadelphia that have been nominated for (and even won) Oscars, notably: Mannequin, Philadelphia, Trading Places and 12 Monkeys. (Submitted on November 28, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on November 28, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
 
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Jul. 1, 2026