FilmClick

Philadelphia Independent Film Festival
6.26.08 – 6.29.08
Philadelphia, PA

Come and attend the inaugural Philadelphia Independent Film Festival taking place on June 26th - 29th 2008. The festival will screen 151 independent films from 20 international filmmaking communities. This festival has been noted as “one of those Philadelphia summer events that makes the wonderful state of Pennsylvania a fun place to visit and vacation.” 

The festival will showcase films throughout the historically-radical and artistically-flourishing neighborhood of Northern Liberties.  All screening locations are a short walking distance of one another: North Bowl, Liberty Lands Park, Arbol Café, Liberties Walk, Tower Gallery, Media Bureau, & Woodshop Film Studios. Screenings will be accompanied by round table and filmmaker discussions, panels, demonstrations, film critiques, and a live casting call for a current project. 

With the US Metropolitan City of Philadelphia as its backdrop, the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival was conceived to become a yearly meeting of artistic and business community interests that enable and enhance the innovative, creative, collaborative, and revolutionary potential of successful filmmaking. 

Come out and support the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival during its opening night celebration featuring special guests and performances.

For dates and showtimes, please visit:                         http://www.philadelphiaindependentfilmfestival.com/

By FilmClick Staff

Philadelphia Film Festival
4.03.08 – 4.15.08
Philadelphia, PA

The City of Brotherly Love became a cinephile’s utopia when the Philadelphia Film Society presented more than 149 films over 13 days at the 17th annual Philadelphia Film Festival. Spread across 6 different venues throughout the Old City Cultural District, the festival had the lovely Philly streets abuzz with eager filmgoers seeking the best in independent and international film. While boasting quite the impressive lineup, one standout among this year’s cream of the cinematic crop had to be Rodger Grossman’s What We Do Is Secret.

Making his directorial debut with this film, Grossman masterfully chronicles the tumultuous rise and fall of LA punk rock icon Darby Crash and his band, The Germs. Weaving together poignant interviews, live performance sequences, and just the right amount of humor to cut through the darkness, Grossman crafts a captivating biopic that allows its star, Shane West, to shine in electrifying brilliance as the troubled Crash. So impressive is West’s performance, the Philadelphia Film Society in fact recognized him with its Rising Star Award for the festival. Both West and Grossman were present at the well-attended screening, where they fielded questions from the appropriately punk-attired, enthusiastic, and absolutely riveted audience.

by Meghan Chandler, FilmClick Staff, mchandler@filmclick.com