THE PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES OPENING, CLOSING AND GALA SCREENINGS FOR ITS MILESTONE 20TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH SUNDANCE GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNER LIKE CRAZY, CLOSE WITH ALEXANDER PAYNE’S THE DESCENDANTS, AND FEATURE GALA PRESENTATIONS OF THE ARTIST, JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN AND SHAME
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) September 21, 2011 - The Philadelphia Film Society is proud to announce its Gala Screenings for the upcoming 20th Philadelphia Film Festival which will run October 20 – November 3. The Festival will open on October 20th with the Philadelphia Premiere of Drake Doremus’ Like Crazy. Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress for Felicity Jones, Like Crazy is a powerful story about two young lovers whose relationship is threatened by international borders. The Festival will close on October 29th with The Descendants, starring George Clooney. The Descendants is a sharp, smart and emotional film, powerfully blending comedy and tragedy.
The Festival will also feature 4 Gala screenings, including The Artist, a superb silent film in classic black-and-white which was the darling of the Cannes Film Festival; Jeff, Who Lives At Home, an engaging film about family, destiny, mystery and finding one’s place in the universe from the talented filmmaker brothers Jay and Mark Duplass; My Week with Marilyn, a charming behind-the-curtain biopic on the relationship between Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl; and Shame, the powerful and provocative story of a man who is forced to confront his own sexual compulsions which was the talk of the Venice and Telluride Film Festivals.
J. Andrew Greenblatt, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Film Society and Philadelphia Film Festival commented, “I’m incredibly excited to open our 20th Festival with Like Crazy, a captivating film I fell in love with when I first saw it at Sundance, and I’m equally thrilled to close with The Descendants, the latest in masterful and emotionally powerful films from Alexander Payne. I think Festival-goers will spend months talking about these films, and the amazing performances from the actors involved, be it Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones in Like Crazy or George Clooney and Shailene Woodley in The Descendants.”
Michael Lerman, Artistic Director said, “I couldn’t imagine a better lineup to commemorate our 20th Anniversary. These gala screenings represent an exciting sampling of the fantastic Festival program we will be offering, and I think they build the foundation for what we believe to be our finest Festival yet!"
The 15-day Philadelphia Film Festival will feature more than 120 of the best new films from around the world - from today’s most important and emerging filmmakers - curated by the stellar programming committee, which includes Artistic Director Michael Lerman, programmers Tom Quinn and Ryan Werner and shorts programmer Jesse Trussell. The 20th Philadelphia Film Festival is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, including Official Sponsors Philadelphia Weekly, Southwest Airlines, the University of Pennsylvania and WHYY; through the generous support of the Wyncote Foundation and Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, as well as through the support of the members of the Philadelphia Film Society.
Badges and Ticket Packages are currently on-sale through the Festival website, www.filmadelphia.org/festival or over the phone by calling 267-239-2941. Individual tickets will be available to Film Society Members beginning Wednesday, September 28th, and to the public beginning Monday, October 3rd.
For more information about the Philadelphia Film Festival and the Philadelphia Film Society, please contact the Philadelphia Film Society at 267-239-2941 or info@filmadelphia.org.
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Where: Philadelphia Soundstages, 1600 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19122
When: Session 1 Tuesday nights from 7:00pm-9:30pm on the following dates; August 23, August 30, September 6, September 13, September 20 and September 27.
Session 1 Registration: CLICK HERE
For $60 discount, enter promo code: pfswrites1
Session 2 will meet Tuesday nights from 7:00pm-9:30pm on the following dates; October 25, November 1, November 8, November 15, November 22 and November 29.
Session 2 Registration: CLICK HERE
For $60 discount, enter promo code: pfswrites2
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(PHILADELPHIA, PA) June 1, 2011 – The Philadelphia Film Society and Drexel University's Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design presents a two-day retrospective of the films by Terrence Malick, in anticipation of the Philadelphia Premiere of Malick’s new feature, The Tree of Life on June 10. This three film retrospective, made possible thanks to Fox Searchlight Pictures, takes a rare look at Malick’s past cinematic masterpieces, returning his most critically-acclaimed films to the big screen.
The retrospective begins on Wednesday, June 8th with a double feature of Days of Heaven at 7pm followed by Badlands at 9pm. The Thin Red Line, the film that granted Malick Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Writing, will screen on Thursday, June 9th at 7pm. All screenings will be held at the Mandell Theater at Drexel University, located at the corner of 33rd and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia. Admission is FREE with a suggested donation of $5 to the Philadelphia Film Society in support of the upcoming 20th Philadelphia Film Festival in October.
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(Philadelphia, PA) May 16, 2011 - The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation recently announced the winners for the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, a new three-year, $9 million initiative supporting innovative projects that inspire and enrich Philadelphia’s communities.
Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) received a $30,000 matching grant for our new Short Film Competition. There are 35 other Philadelphia winners, including individual artists, community organizations, museums, dance ensembles, and theater companies.
In celebration of the Philadelphia Film Festival’s 20th anniversary, PFS will sponsor a Short Film Competition that requires filmmakers to showcase the city by incorporating one of 20 recognizable landmarks, characters, or objects. By featuring these recognizable Philadelphia symbols, filmmakers of all experience levels will be prompted to explore the city through new, innovative lenses.
All films will be voted on by our online community and the top ten films will be screened by the Executive and Artistic Directors of PFS. The winning filmmaker will be given an all-access badge to the 2011 Festival and the top ten will have their films screened at the Festival.
Six Screening Events Provide Moviegoers with a Cinematic Experience
in Philadelphia’s Most Recognizable Film Landmarks[/b]
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) May 9, 2011 – The Philadelphia Film Festival continues the celebration of its 20th Anniversary by taking your favorite Philadelphia films to the famous locations where they were shot or set. Last year, the public was encouraged to vote for the 20 films that would make up this very special film series. Polling took place through the Philadelphia Film Society’s website (www.filmadelphia.org) and concluded with the top 10 films selected as part of the filmadelphiaCLASSICS screening series.
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