Celebrity sightings
Al Pacino, guest star of the Academy of Music’s anniversary concert and ball, seemed to have as much fun onstage as he did at its white tie and tails post-party at the Hyatt at the Bellevue. He even recited some Shakespeare before conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra took over. At dinner, Pacino wore sunglasses and hung out with girlfriend Lucila Sola, as well as her brother and his girlfriend. While Pacino and Sola headed back to the Four Seasons hotel, the rest of their crew stayed at the after-party. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posed for photos in front of Pat’s Steaks the night before the WWE’s Royal Rumble at Wells Fargo Center. Johnson tweeted, “In town and always gotta stop by the neighborhood . . . #SouthPhilly.” “Top Five” actress Rosario Dawson stopped by the University of Pennsylvania’s MLK lecture series at Zellerbach Theatre to talk about social justice and political responsibility.
Movie and music news
Not every Philadelphia film announcement this week is about Sylvester “Rocky” Stallone and the “Creed” shoot. One-time TLA Video film festival captain Thom Cardwell gave us the scoop that his qFLIX Philadelphia LGBTQ film festival returns July 7-12, with James Duggan as his co-producer. “It’s by popular demand we’re doing it soon after the last fest and during summer,” says Caldwell. (The 2014 iteration was in September.) Caldwell declined to confirm rumors that actor Matt Bomer (“The Normal Heart”), writer/show runner Alan Ball (“True Blood”) and Philly director/producer Lee Daniels (“Empire”) will attend. In other TLA Video news, their long-planned art cinema screening room/restaurant on N. Sixth Street is off the table for the time being — if not completely squashed as rumored.
For a daily fix of film and something to nosh, former TLA Video store manager Dan Cresoff’s recently opened CineMug on S. Broad Street. He’s got Cosmi hoagies, strong coffee, DVD rentals and in-house screenings. Philly’s Chiddy Bang was on hand at the Trocadero to announce headliners for the ever-popular Firefly Music Festival in June: Run the Jewels, Spoon and Bastille.