Patina / Promise

Why we picked it

Filmed by Philadelphians. Voiced by Philadelphians. Assembled by director Glenn Holsten and artist Majesty Royale-Jackson. Patina/Promise is a new city symphony film for 2026 using cell phones, drone footage, interviews, and the sounds of our streets to create an energetic, moving self-portrait of Philadelphia in all its complexity and brilliance. Holsten guides citizen filmmakers through brief workshop training sessions, turning everyday Philadelphians into the cinematographers of their own story. The tradition of the great city symphony film comes home to Philly, made from the inside out and from the ground up.