Editing M Night Shyamalan (section)

== Philadelphia Foundation ==

Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan was born on August 6, 1970, in Mahé, Puducherry, India, but was raised in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, where his family settled when he was six weeks old. His childhood on Philadelphia's Main Line provided the suburban settings that many of his films would explore, while his father's medical practice and his mother's obstetric work modeled the professional achievement he would pursue in different form. The Catholic schooling he received at Episcopal Academy and the film education he obtained at Tisch School of the Arts prepared him for a career that would bring him back to Philadelphia.<ref name="keesey">{{cite book |last=Keesey |first=Douglas |title=The Films of M. Night Shyamalan |year=2015 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, NC}}</ref>

His early filmmaking, beginning with the semi-autobiographical "Praying with Anger" (1992) and continuing through "Wide Awake" (1998), established his interest in spiritual themes while developing his technical abilities. The Philadelphia settings these films employed anticipated the regional commitment that his major work would demonstrate. The decision to remain in the Philadelphia area as success arrived, rather than relocating to Hollywood as career logic might dictate, reflected values that success would not alter.<ref name="bamberger"/>

His purchase of the Ravenwood estate in Chester County, where he based his production company Blinding Edge Pictures, demonstrated investment in the region that exceeded professional necessity. The commitment to employing local crew, to using Philadelphia-area locations, and to maintaining regional residence has had economic impact that extends beyond his own productions. Shyamalan's presence has helped establish Philadelphia's film infrastructure in ways that individual productions alone could not achieve.<ref name="keesey"/>