01 Aug Philadelphia Monthly Arts Round-Up: August 2023
BY SOPHIA ABRAHAM-RAVESON
Please refer to the official websites for events to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information about ticketing, reservations, delays, re-scheduling, cancellations, and other guest policies for venues, including relevant COVID-19 requirements.
At the height of summer, Philadelphia is bursting with film screenings and events across the city. Pop into a cool movie theater for some relief from this humidity, or embrace our beautiful warm evenings and watch a film with your neighbors at Bartram’s Garden. Come out to screenings all over the city!
Highlights this month include the return of BlackStar Film Festival, Scribe Video Center’s Street Movies! program, and more cinéSPEAK @ Bartram’s Garden screenings.
August 2-6, 2023
BlackStar Film Festival
An exciting annual Philly event, BlackStar Film Festival brings filmmakers from all over the world to celebrate Blackness in independent film. The schedule is packed with documentary and narrative films, panel discussions, and parties. BlackStar especially stands out in its carefully curated short films, often featuring unique and beautiful experimental films. Read more about some must-see films in our festival preview.
Cost: $0-$350
Multiple venues in person and online
August 10-25, 2023
Street Movies!
Street Movies! is a free screening series for audiences of all ages that tours neighborhoods around the Philadelphia region, bringing a program of independent film–fiction, animation, documentary, and youth- and community-produced work–from around the world to local parks, lots, playgrounds, and community spaces. Each screening is hosted by a community organization and followed by a moderated discussion about the topics raised in the films.
Cost: Free
Multiple venues across the city
Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 6 PM
I, the Worst of All
Join the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Education, Philosophy, and Religion Department for a screening of María Luisa Bemberg’s I, the Worst of All (Spanish: Yo, la peor de todas). Based on the book by Octavio Paz and set in 17th-century colonial Mexico, the film portrays the life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the philosopher, poet, and nun who challenged the Spanish church.
Cost: Free
Parkway Central Library — 1901 Vine Street Room 108 Philadelphia, PA 19103
Friday, August 11, 2023 at 7 PM
Beyond Walls @ Malcolm X Park: In Partnership with Amistad Law Project & Making Worlds
Beyond Walls is a collection of short films that define and amplify what prison industrial complex (PIC) abolition means, and inspires people to imagine and take action toward a world without policing. Beyond a goal of simply changing hearts and minds, these five short films empower communities with concrete tools and actions they can take to help create a world without police and prisons. Pre-Show Performance by DJ John Morrison.
Cost: Free
Malcolm X Park — 51st & Pine Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 5:30 PM
Community Critique Night: Batikh Batikh x Twelve Gates Arts
This event is a great opportunity for local Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) creatives to receive feedback on works-in-progress or their creative practice from other artists within the culture. Sign up to present your work, or attend to see and provide feedback on other people’s work. This space is intended for SWANA women and LGBTQ artists.
Cost: Free
Twelve Gates Arts — 106 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA
Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 7 PM
Cycle of Memory
Directed by Alex Leff, from the Greater Philadelphia Area, Cycle of Memory is a documentary about a very personal subject: Leff’s grandfather’s Alzheimer’s and experiences with memory loss. This screening includes a special post-film discussion with the director.
Cost: $13.50 General Admission, $8 BMFI Members, $11 Seniors/Students, $9 Children
Bryn Mawr Film Institute — 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA
Friday, August 18, 2023 at 7:30 PM
cinéSPEAK @ Bartram’s Garden: Charlotte Le Bon’s Falcon Lake
The Philadelphia premiere of Charlotte Le Bon’s Falcon Lake, a love and ghost story—A shy teenager on a summer vacation experiences the joy and pain of young adulthood when he forges an unlikely bond with an older girl.
Cost: Free
Bartram’s Garden — 5400 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19143
Sunday, August 20 at 1 PM
CatVideoFest 2023
If you’re looking for a unique family-friendly event, check out this short program of feline fun on the big screen! CatVideoFest compiles the latest and greatest cat clips, culled from countless hours of unique submissions, sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. A portion of proceeds will go to Main Line Animal Rescue.
Cost: $13.50 General Admission, $8 BMFI Members, $11 Seniors/Students, $9 Children
Bryn Mawr Film Institute — 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA
Thursday, August 24 at 6 PM
Malcolm X
Join the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Education, Philosophy, and Religion Department for a screening of Arnold Perls’ 1972 film Malcolm X. This documentary combines interviews, archival footage, and a voice-over narration to highlight the life and legacy of the civil rights leader Malcolm X, with a special focus on how spirituality informed his work.
Cost: Free
Parkway Central Library — 1901 Vine Street Room 108 Philadelphia, PA 19103
Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 7 PM
Tokyo Pop
This screening is a fun opportunity to see this newly restored Japanese and American indie film from the late 1980s. The film features bleach-blonde wannabe rocker Wendy (Carrie Hamilton), who is disillusioned with her life in New York City. After receiving a postcard from Japan saying “wish you were here,” she spontaneously hops on a plane to Tokyo with dreams of making it big as a singer. Tokyo Pop takes you on a breezy tour through bubble era Tokyo, replete with knowing nods to the city’s vibrant pop culture.
Cost: $10 General Admission, $8 Student/Senior, Free for Members/UArts Students/UArts Faculty & Staff
Lightbox Film Center — 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
MORE EVENTS:
Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 7 PM
Cost: $13.50 General Admission, $8 BMFI Members, $11 Seniors/Students, $9 Children
Bryn Mawr Film Institute — 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA
Friday, August 11, 2023 at 7 PM
Storyville: Quentin Morris and Darwin Nix
Cost: $5
Scribe Video Center — 3908 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Friday, August 18, 2023 at 4 PM
Opening Reception: The Gary Smalls Gallery Project
Cost: Free
Scribe Video Center — 3908 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Friday, August 18, 2023 at 6 PM
Finding Ceremony with Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad and Dr. Lyra Monteiro
Cost: $5
Scribe Video Center — 3908 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Friday, August 18, 2023 at 7 PM
Frankford Pause Park Movie Night: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Cost: Free
Frankford Pause Park — 4673 Paul Street Philadelphia, PA 19124
Friday, August 25, 2023 at 7 PM
Cost: $0-10
Lightbox Film Center — 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 7 PM
Cost: $0-10
Lightbox Film Center — 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
*Featured Image: Image from cinéSPEAK Under the Stars 2022. Courtesy of cinéSPEAK.
Would you like your event to be featured in a future round-up? Please fill out the Philadelphia Monthly Arts Round-Up form at least one month prior to the event. Note: events shared less than a month ahead of time may not be able to make our publishing schedule. The cinéSPEAK Journal maintains sole discretion over the publishing of any information provided via the form. Questions: journal@cinespeak.org
Sophia Abraham-Raveson is the Managing Editor for the cinéSPEAK Journal. She has previously worked for several Philadelphia-based film festivals, including BlackStar and Tri-Co Film Festival.
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