The most recent triumph of Sitler’s more than 30 years as the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commissioner was the commitment by NBC to film Bluff City Law here. Although the TV series is set in Memphis, shooting it here was not a sure thing — it took rallying public and financial support and working strategic alliances with the state, city, and county to make it happen. She also worked to secure the three (so far) Hallmark/Graceland movies filmed in town. Past films and TV shows she’s wrangled include Mystery Train, The Firm, The Rainmaker, The People vs. Larry Flynt, 21 Grams, My Blueberry Nights, Hustle & Flow, Sun Records, and Brian Banks. She’s received numerous awards from the Tennessee Communications Association, the Women’s Foundation, the Memphis chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and The Peabody, and she is honored on a historic marker in the South Main District. The longest-serving film commissioner in the world, Sitler is also one of only 60 film commissioners to earn professional certification.
