Another Official Selection of the 21st Annual Philadelphia Film Festival has made it's way back to the Philadelphia Silver Screens. Adam Leon's‘Gimme The Loot’ opens at the Ritz Bourse this weekend.
Borrowing it’s title from the classic Biggie tune, ‘Gimme The Loot’ follows two teenagers as they plan a scheme to become the most famous graffiti artists in New York by putting their tag on the infamous Mets' home-run apple.
Director Adam Leon was in town last October during PFF21 to present the film to Festival attendees.
After premiering at Cannes Film Festival, ‘The Sapphires’ came to Philadelphia for PFF21 and received as much fanfare as it did in France. Audiences embraced the true story of four talented young Aboriginal girls, plucked from obscurity and transformed into a soulful Motown-style singing group.
Now, the film based on the hit Australian play is open for all to see at the Ritz Five and to promote it, director Wayne Blair paid our good city a visit.
One of the shining standouts of the 21st Philadelphia Film Festival and of the whole year was David O. Russell’s ‘Silver Linings Playbook’. Set in Philadelphia, last year’s opening night film starring Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, and Jennifer Lawrence follows a bi-polar man who recently gets released from a mental hospital and befriends a mysterious girl with her own baggage who agrees to help him reconcile with his estranged wife. But through a series of events that involves dancing and the Philadelphia Eagles, the pair grows closer together despite all their problems.
The month of February celebrates a number of things for different groups of people. In the United States and Canada, it’s Black History Month. In the UK, it’s LGBT History Month. For fans of the NFL, it marks the end of their season as the two top teams in the NFL battle it out in the Super Bowl. Finally, for cinefiles all over the world, this February is all about Hollywood looking back at the past year’s praiseworthy films in order to honor them at the 85th Academy Awards.
However, I have a confession to make: I’m not too huge on award shows, especially the Academy Awards.
During the 21st Philadelphia Film Festival, we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Signs’ at the Prince Theater with a Q&A with the director and WMMR's ‘Preston & Steve’ morning show host/movie buff Steve Morrison after the film. Here are some pictures from the event to relive the great time had by all attended:
PFF21 is in the history books, but we don't run the only film festivals in town. Tonight marks the opening night of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival presented by HBO, which runs until November 17th. Holding screenings at International House in University City and Asian Arts Initiative at 12th & Vine, the PAAFF is boasting a great program of films showcasing and celebrating the Asian American experience for a broader audience.
The opening film is called 'Shanghai Calling'.
This year’s Philadelphia Film Festival has come and gone, and after a few days to rest/deal with a natural disaster, we’re all back at work here at the Film Society. And though festival season has passed, the great films that we all got to see won’t soon leave our minds.
Over the course of the eleven-day festival, I saw a total of 25 films. In an effort to relive the awesome movies that I got to see at this year’s festival, I’d like to share with you my top 5 favorite films of the festival.
11 days, 103 films and 18 shorts-How many did you see?
We’ve received great feedback on the 2012 Festival and are amazed with the number of films our members and guests were able to view this year! Thanks for all your support and we hope you enjoyed PFF21!
Here are some of our top attendees and their favorites from the Festival:
Phil McCarty - 50 Films:
1. Three Worlds
2. Atomic States of America
3. Lore
4. A Royal Affair
5. Simon Killer
Keith Lyons – 46 Films:
1. Diaz: Don’t Clean Up this Blood
2. Holy Motors
3.
Sandy who? There's still a full day of screenings at the 21st Philadelphia Film Festival! And if you brave the weather, you can take advantage of our buy one get one free tickets. Hopefully these savings are the only things to blow you away today and not the high winds.
If you're not sure what to see tonight, might I sugest the following:
Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey
[i]A rockumentary about Arnel Pineda, the internet sensation that went from leading a Filipino cover band to fronting one of the most legendary bands of all time, Journey.
Fans came out in droves to see the 10 year anniversary screening of M. Night Shyamalan's 'Signs' at the Prince Music Theater tonight, then stayed for a lively Q&A with the director hosted by Steve Morrison of WMMR's Preston & Steve morning show.
Before M. Night took the stage, I had a chance to interview him in the lobby. Keep an eye out for the interview some time soon, but until that's ready, enjoy this picture of Steve Morrison, M.
