While cultural and creative industries are at the base of governance models for creative cities, there is a significant lack of understanding with respect to how they contribute to sustainable urban and community development. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was set up with the aim of providing a cooperation platform for cities for which creative and cultural industries were identified as engines to foster sustainable urban development. In the last fourteen years the network among UNESCO Creative Cities of different size and with diverse historical, political, and social conditions has grown significantly. The purpose of this work is twofold. First, it compares creative cities to detect how urban practices and policies enhance the film industry. Second, it aims to investigate the urban strategies used to enhance social cohesion through film heritage, education, and consumption.