Candis R. McLean
The 25th Annual Philadelphia film Festival runs from October 20th through the 30th. The ten-day festival will showcase many films from around the world from and incorporate all genres. The wide range and categories of cinema are on full display during these days. Philadelphia is one of the best cities in the country at highlighting arts and culture and making their visibility a priority. The festival will have several screenings, Q&A sessions, panel discussions, receptions, and lounges. Here are a few key projects that will be garnering buzz not only at the event but will be lauded during the award season as well.
Manchester by the Sea
Casey Affleck’s delivers a powerhouse performance in this Kenneth Lonergan film. This is the first film by Lonergan in 16 years and its one of his best. The film follows Lee Chandler, a man who returns to his seaside hometown after spending years in isolation as a handyman in Boston. He returns home after the death of his brother and shockingly gets appointed as guardian of his 16 year-old nephew. It’s in his hometown of Manchester that Lee confronts his past of grief, his failed relationships, and the current dynamic of his family. The film examines the genuine bonds that link people in our lives and how the unexpected can make even the most secluded of individuals evolve. The cast includes Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, and Gretchen Mol.
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La La Land
This Damien Chazelle film about love in the Golden Age of Hollywood stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The film tells the story of Mia, a young actress with ambitions who works as a barista during the day and Sebastian. Sebastian is a jazz pianist who has dreams of one day opening a club. Through several random encounters, fate continually brings the pair together. The film unfolds in a picturesque movie-musical of their beautiful story of togetherness. It’s dazzling, vibrant, and a glowing display of modern love told in a classic way.
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Jackie
Jackie is a heartfelt biopic centered on the moments leading up to and subsequently after the assassination of cherished President John f. Kennedy. The Pablo Larrain film stars Oscar-winner Natalie Portman .It illustrates this dreadful and frantic time in history through the perspective of former the First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. The film is designed around the LIFE Magazine interview with Mrs. Kennedy given by Theodore H. White. The interview was a mere week after the assassination and included Jackie returning to The White house, the funeral, and other activities during this painful time. The film depicts her struggle with grief, the unwanted public attention, and examines the intense spectacle that followed the titanic emotional loss of President Kennedy.
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Arrival
One of the few science-fiction films in the festival this year. This Denis Villeneuve project is helmed by acclaimed star Amy Adams. The drama gets heightened when several mysterious spacecrafts begin popping up all over the globe. Adams plays Dr. Louise Banks, a studied linguist and is charged with the task of attempting to communicate with the alien beings. Banks gets recruited to work under Colonel Weber, played by Forest Whitaker, in attempt to discover what exactly the aliens want to do on planet earth. As the occupation continues and the communications still sparse, tension and panic spreads. Several of the world’s leaders mount for a possible attack on the planet. It becomes Banks’ task to decode several images given to her by the aliens to find their true purpose before it’s too late. The film is a climatic look at the lengths people will go when humanity is pushed to the brink.
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Moonlight
Touted as one of the most astonishing films of the year, this Barry Jenkins work, showcases three powerful segments of a young black gay man raised in Miami. The film depicts a harsh, violent, gritty, and unnerving upbringing of poverty-stricken Chiron. Set in the rundown areas of the city, the story displays and illustrates the formative years of Chiron up through adulthood. Chiron’s mother is devoted to her drug habit and prioritizes her addiction over everything, including her son. The story soon shifts to the character known as “Black”, the name Chiron goes by as a man. Black becomes startled by the past as a key figure interjects into his life. Soon, he cannot run from buried truths, people, and emotional ghosts that he tried to leave behind. The film shows how certain moments can pierce us all. Jenkins shows how instants can leave an everlasting imprint on us for years to come not matter hard we try to stifle or forget them. The film stars Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monaé, Naomie Harris, and Mahershala Ali.
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Honorable mention:
Personal Shopper- Kristen Stewart and filmmaker Olivier Assayas reunite (Clouds of Sils Maria) in this haunting thriller and drama. Stewart plays a personal shopper whose life gets turned upside down when she attempt to contact her dead brother in Paris.
Philly Influencer Special Discount
Purchase your tickets and see the lineup of films here.
Use discount code PFF25 at checkout for a $2 discount on regular-priced tickets.
Please note: This discount does not apply to Opening Night Films, Closing Night Films, and Centerpiece Films.