BY KELSEY BROWN Despite the documentary Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn opening with Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta in a suit, filmmaker Tim Harris is adamant it is more than a political film. While the film follows Kenyatta’s historic journey as the first openly gay...
BY RASHEED ZAIRE AJAMU Little Richard was an exceptional musician who possessed a unique voice and personality. Despite facing internal obstacles due to his identity as a Black, queer, and religious individual, his impact on music was enormous. The documentary feature Little Richard: I Am Everything chronicles...
BY GABE CASTRO The cinéSPEAK Journal publishes a monthly Philadelphia Artist Spotlight highlighting local filmmakers and moving image artists doing unique and impactful work. Li Sumpter has a vision for the future and it is one of hope and inspiration. Sumpter is a mythologist, a multidisciplinary artist,...
BY C.M. CROCKFORD On May 12, 2023, Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Philadelphia Local union members picketed the looming Comcast Center downtown for three hours with signs and chants in support of the...
BY ARTA BARZANJI 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. If in the winter, movie theaters can offer us a shelter...
BY GABE CASTRO The Philadelphia Latino Film Festival returns for its 12th year, transformed and full of potential. The festival has proved itself malleable, shifting to a virtual festival at the height of the pandemic in 2020. 2021 brought them a rush of new films, a...
BY JOHN MORRISON To understand the nature of jazz as an expression of both the cultural wealth and political aspirations of Black America, one need not look further than the life and career of the drummer Max Roach. A relentless experimenter, in his early days, Roach...
BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR Philadelphia-based artist Walé Oyéjidé is the definition of a multi-hyphenate–he is a talented fashion designer, filmmaker, speaker, photographer, musician, and lawyer. Oyéjidé utilizes his art to celebrate marginalized communities, with a focus on stories of African migration. Along with designer Sam Hubler, he...
BY ANDRE CHERRY The cinéSPEAK Journal publishes a monthly Philadelphia Organization Spotlight highlighting a local film or moving image focused organization, business, or collective doing unique and impactful work. While the film industry has historically been inaccessible to people of color, Big Picture Alliance uses filmmaking as...
BY GABE CASTRO The cinéSPEAK Journal publishes a monthly Philadelphia Artist Spotlight highlighting local filmmakers and moving image artists doing unique and impactful work. S.L. Sawyer is a communications strategist turned film producer and creator. Sawyer transformed her passion and knowledge for film into opportunities for independent...