Everything you need to know about the Philadelphia Film Festival

Now in its 31st year, the Philadelphia Film Festival is returning to the city with a full line-up of programming from Oct. 19 – 30. 

2022’s line-up of films and events spans a variety of different genres, activations and star-studded power. There’s even a new venue added to the in-person offerings this year—but it’s an old favorite amongst Philadelphians. According to a release, the theater Ritz East will now be under PFS management. Located in Old City, PFS will reopen the theater under the name PFS East for PFF31 screenings. With the additional two screens, PFS will now be programming first-run films and curated series on a total of nine screens, the largest number of independently owned and operated screens in the city.

“We couldn’t be more excited for this year’s Festival, as we’re finally back in totality. More than that, and as cliché as it might be, we’re better than ever. Full theaters, more events, an amazing Festival lounge space, and a ton of special guests,” said J. Andrew Greenblatt, CEO and executive director of the Philadelphia Film Society, in a statement. “Even better, as we enter the next era of the Film Society, the Festival marks the addition of the former Ritz East into the Film Society theater family.”

Curated by the PFF programming team, this year’s line-up spans the World premieres of two films, North American premieres of two films and the United States premieres of five films with the Festival ultimately showcasing more than 130 feature-length and short films. The line-up was chosen from multiple international festivals throughout the year.

Opening night will highlight a film written and directed by Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh, ‘The Banshees of Inshirin’ starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The new piece tells the story of two lifelong friends who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.

Centerpiece films will also be shown through the PFF, including the highly awaited sequel ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ with a Festival appearance by Director Rian Johnson. The Netflix feature also boasts an A-list cast including Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke and Kate Hudson all in the line-up. 

Other highlighted centerpiece films include James Gray’s memoir starring Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong with Anthony Hopkins—’Armageddon Time’, a film directed by Temple University alumni Chinonye Chukwu—’Till’, following the events surrounding the lynching of Emmitt Till told from his mother’s eyes; and Elegance Bratton’s debut feature ‘The Inspection’, a timely portrait of a gay man in marine core training.

The 31st Annual Philadelphia Film Festival will also feature three special event screenings: ‘RRR’, which tells the tale of two revolutionary heroes of India’s British Raj era, ‘Magic Mike XXL’ a special 35MM party of a screening which will also entail Quizzo and other rowdy, interactive surprises, and lastly, ‘An Evening with Dream Video Division.’ The latter in particular is a radical new media collective that specializes in remixing films, and at the PFF, they will present a collection of their latest work.

As the release states, this year’s line-up includes the return of the State of the Union. The films in this category expand upon the Festival’s goal of presenting films that are both timely and thought-provoking in their relevance, and are also complementary to audiences through PFS on Us. All of the films included in this free ticketing program unite a diverse group of individuals involved in nonprofit organizations, arts and cultural groups, universities, and hundreds from Philadelphia’s general public who want to share in the excitement and challenge of powerful new cinema.

There will also be some local talent shown on the screens. For one, ‘Rittenhouse Square’ (not to be confused with the 2005 film from Robert Downey Sr., which will also be shown at the Festival) will be shown as a world premiere from filmmaker Brandon Eric Kamin, and it follows the story of a young man struggling with the aftermath of his father’s death and thoughts of suicide as he befriends an older homeless veteran. 

The second World Premiere is Tim Downlin and Frank Tartaglia’s ‘Not For Nothing’, a story about a man who searches for answers after his girlfriend dies, with the aid of his fellow South Philly bar-flys only to ignite a dangerous street war with a mysterious drug dealer.

Other film categories being presented throughout the festival include ‘From the Vault,’ ‘Worldview’, ‘Non/Fiction,’ ‘After Hours’ and many more, with red carpet events, appearances and panels sprinkled in between. 

The closing film comes from the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner, ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.’  

“This year’s program is one of our largest to date which only further solidifies the strength of the state of cinema today,” added Michael Lerman, artistic director and senior director of programming of the Philadelphia Film Society, in a statement. “Not only is the quality of film extremely high, we are thrilled to be able to bring new, bold, diverse, and rebellious stories to Philadelphia. With a strong showcase of documentary films as well as thought-provoking narratives, PFF31 truly highlights the urgency of the contemporary world we are living in.”

A full list of the multitude of offerings, screenings, ticket packages and more can be found online at filmadelphia.org