27 Feb Philadelphia Monthly Arts Round-Up: March 2024
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. Inclusion in the Philadelphia Monthly Arts Round-Up does not signify cinéSPEAK’s endorsement of an event or organization’s mission or political affiliations.
March 2024 should be an exciting month for film in Philadelphia and around the world. If you’re a fan of the Oscars, make sure to check out Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s “Let’s Talk Oscars!” panel event and Lightbox Film Center’s screening of Pictures of Ghosts, Brazil’s entry for this year’s Academy Awards. March is also Women’s History Month, making it the perfect time to check out Diamond Screen: Women’s Film Festival, a Temple University student film festival.
At cinéSPEAK, we love community collaborations–we’re excited to see so many cool events in March featuring artists and organizations that we’ve worked with or spotlighted in our Philadelphia Artist Spotlight and Philadelphia Organization Spotlight columns. Be Reel Black Cinema Club and The Micheaux Mission are partnering up to present a special screening of Pariah, and SIFTMedia 215 is screening our previously spotlighted artist Bettina Escauriza’s short film Tonight, We Eat Flowers, created in conjunction with the BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab. While Valentine’s Day has passed, we’re still feeling the Philly independent film community love!
Read on for a fuller list of film events happening throughout the month.
Friday, March 1, 2024 at 7 PM
Bushman
This special double feature includes two films by director David Schickele, Bushman and Give me a Riddle. To film Bushman–a 1971 black and white film–David Schickele enlisted his friend Paul Eyam Nzie Okpokam to star in a light-hearted comedy about the adventures of a well-educated Nigerian immigrant in San Francisco. Partway through, the film morphs into a documentary when the director’s voice abruptly intrudes to narrate its star’s enraging fate: Okpokam was accused of a crime he did not commit and was thrown in prison before being expelled from the country.
Cost: $10 General Admission, $8 Students/Seniors, Free for Members/UArts Students/UArts Faculty and Staff
Lightbox Film Center — 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 6 PM
The United States of Hoodoo with Danny Simmons
The United States of Hoodoo is a 2012 documentary that tracks the spiritual roots that have shaped the American Black experience, offering perspective on the interconnectedness of culture and identity. This screening is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Dolls, Idols, and Ideals at InLiquid Gallery, which features work by Kimberly Camp and Emilio Maldonado, two Black artists investigating their identity, label, lineage, and how they create their own power while stranded in a “new world.” One of the main interviewees featured in the film, Danny Simmons, will introduce the film and discuss his connection to the subjects in the documentary, and the exhibition, with the audience.
Cost: Free
InLiquid Gallery — 1400 North American Street, Gallery 108, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 7 PM
Let’s Talk Oscars!
To prepare for the big night, join Bryn Mawr Film Institute for an evening of Oscar talk featuring Patrick Stoner from WHYY; Dana Stevens from Slate (and Slate’s “Culture Gabfest” podcast); and Bedatri Choudhury from The Philadelphia Inquirer (and cinéSPEAK’s board!). They will discuss favorites, predictions, snubs, and more. And be ready to weigh in—they want to hear about your picks, too!
Cost: Free
Bryn Mawr Film Institute — 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 2 PM
A Utopian Stage Film Marathon
This film program is presented in conjunction with “A Utopian Stage,” an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative presented with Bowerbird and curated by Vali Mahlouji. The exhibition dives into the vibrant history of Festival of Arts, Shiraz-Persepolis, an international performance festival held annually in Iran from 1967 to 1977. This program features three films shown back to back, two of which were shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival. The films screening include William Greaves’ The First World Festival of Negro Arts, a documentary film that celebrates a Shiraz-like festival that took place in Dakar in 1966, Sergei Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates, a visually stunning exploration of the life and work of the Armenian poet Sayat-Nova, and Dayereh-ye Mina, a film by Dariush Mehrjui, an Iranian filmmaker who was assassinated in October 2023.
Cost: Pay What You Wish
Asian Arts Initiative — 1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 2 PM
Second Sunday Culture Film: Foragers
Second Sunday Culture Films is an independent documentary film series curated by film archivist Kate Pourshariati. This year’s theme is “Land Back,” where artists capture the complex stories of human interactions with their environment, social justice, and overcoming marginalization. Foragers, a 2022 documentary, spotlights the Palestinian tradition of foraging wild za’atar and ‘akoub amidst prohibitive law. The screening will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Jumana Manna, Rabea Eghbariah, and UCLA Professor Nour Joudah. Stay for a reception featuring tea and a za’atar and olive oil tasting.
Cost: Pay What You Wish
Rainey Auditorium at the Penn Museum — 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 5 PM
Diamond Screen: Women’s Film Festival
Now in its eighth year, the Women’s Film Festival, collectively organized by Diamond Screen and the Mise en Femme student group at Temple University, features a juried selection of a few of the many fantastic films created by women writers, directors, and cinematography students in Temple’s Film and Media Arts department. In previous years, Women’s Film Festival winners have gone on to be featured in elite festivals around the country. This event is on Temple’s campus and is open to the public.
Cost: Free
Temple University Student Center — 1755 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 7 PM
The Be Reel Micheaux Screening Series Presents: Pariah
In the 2011 film Pariah, Brooklyn teen Alike (Adepero Oduye) is living a double life, quietly embracing her lesbian identity while hiding her sexuality from her family—until a budding bond with a church friend brings the situation to a head. This intimate debut from Dee Rees is a modern coming-of-age classic. Stick around after the movie for a talkback with Vincent Williams and Len Webb of The Micheaux Mission and Stephanye Watts of the Be Reel Black Cinema Club—and to vote on the next film in the series!
Cost: $13.50 for adults, $11 for seniors (65+), $9 for children (under 18), and $11 for students with ID
Bryn Mawr Film Institute — 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Thursday, March 21 2024 at 6 PM
DanceFilm & Meredith Rainey Present: The Body
The Body, a film by Alexander Diaz, embarks on a journey where the body works as the canvas to illustrate the evolution of identity over time. This film is an intimate reflection on the societal influences that shape perception and self-worth. Guided by the central mantra “the body is not an apology,” found in Sonya Renee Taylor’s book The Body is Not an Apology, The Power of Radical Self-Love, the film unfolds as a multifaceted exploration, weaving together elements of satire, realism, drag, and dance. The screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with the filmmaker, Alexander Diaz, and Resident Artist at Performance Garage, Meredith Rainey.
Cost: Free
Performance Garage — 1515 Brandywine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Friday, March 22, 2024 at 7 PM
Fall in Love, Not in Line: The Subversive Power of Comedy & Romance in Film
SIFTMedia 215, a Philly-based collective of Black and Latinx women filmmakers, presents a screening of the short film Tonight, We Eat Flowers, followed by a presentation and discussion from the filmmaker Bettina Escauriza about the history of comedic and absurdist filmmaking and its use by creatives to subvert norms, challenge the mainstream, and upend social conventions. The film follows Luis, a recent immigrant who sells “hold music,” and Jamilah, a gourmet chef stuck working in a cubicle, as they fall in love under unlikely circumstances that involve absolutely terrible music, a lot of blood, and edible flowers. Escauriza developed this film as part of the BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab.
Cost: Free with Donations Suggested
Bok Building — 1901 South 9th Street, Room 415, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 7 PM
Pictures of Ghosts
Check out this unique opportunity to watch Brazil’s official selection for the 2024 Academy Awards, Pictures of Ghosts, from acclaimed director Kleber Mendonca Filho (Bacarau, Aquarius, and Neighboring Sounds). The film is a multidimensional journey through time, sound, architecture, and filmmaking, set in the urban landscape of Recife, Brazilian coastal capital of Pernambuco: a historical and human territory, examined through the great movie theaters that served as spaces of conviviality during the 20th century. Combining archive documentary, mystery, film clips, and personal memories, Pictures of Ghosts is a map of a city through the lens of cinema. The film is in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Cost: Cost: $10 General Admission, $8 Students/Seniors, Free for Members/UArts Students/UArts Faculty and Staff
Lightbox Film Center — 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Other Events:
March 14, 15, and 16, 2023 at 7 PM
Cost: $15 – $45
Rittenhouse Soundworks — 219 West Rittenhouse Street Philadelphia, PA 19144
Friday, March 15, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Cost: Free for students & seniors, $15 for adults
Teatro Esperanza — 4261 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140
Tuesday, March 19, at 7 PM
Philadelphia Organ Festival: Revolutionary Silent Film
Cost: $10-$30
Congregation Rodeph Shalom — 615 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Tuesdays, March 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2024 at 7 PM
Tuesday Nights at the Movies at Woodmere Art Museum
Cost: Pay What You Wish
Woodmere Art Museum — 9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Philly Premiere: Riddle of Fire
Cost: $14.93
PhilaMOCA — 531 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 8 PM
SPECIAL SAUCE: A McVideo Showcase from Scrote & Friends
Cost: $12.44
PhilaMOCA — 531 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 7 PM
Cost: Cost: $10 General Admission, $8 Students/Seniors, Free for Members/UArts Students/UArts Faculty and Staff
Lightbox Film Center — 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 8 PM
Cost: $18 for members, $20 for non-members, Free for Tri-Co Students, Faculty, and Staff
Bryn Mawr Film Institute — 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
*Featured Image: Promotional image for “Fall in Love, Not in Line: The Subversive Power of Comedy & Romance in Film.” Courtesy of SIFTMedia 215.
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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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